The Trials of Shinobi
by Frostic Blitz
Summary: This story centers around my Naruto OC team, during their Genin years. Starts a year before Naruto and the others make an appearance, so Team Gai's year. The other teams will make appearances later on. Rated T for language and violence. Rating may change
1. Chapter 1

Hey there everybody (waves) This is a fic that centers around my Naruto OC team. I started it just for fun as something to do to destress myself on the weekends after I'd just finished umpteen hours of homework (dies). But it kind of grew and now I decided to turn it into a fic...Cause I can XD So to warn you all now...(ahem) THIS IS AN OC FIC. There will be mention of the other Naruto characters but they won't make major appearnces for awhile.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto/it's world/or anything else associated with Naruto...I do however own Team 9 and Michiko-Sensei, and any other names you don't recognize are most like;y mine too...unlessI spelt someone's name wrong...but anyway you get the idea U

Well I think that's everything...Enjoy the fic and dont forget to R&R.

note: this is just an update, I realized while I was reading through it that I got their ages wrong XD So that's allfixed up now, as well as some grammatical and spelling errors.

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Chapter 1:

It was the day after everyone had graduated from Konoha's Ninja Academy and the students were waiting for their Academy Instructor, Hashigawa Michiko, to show up. Everyone was surprised to see that the entire class had passed, including a certain black haired boy with bushy eyebrows.

As one of the students was walking up to his usual seat he stopped by said boys table, a confused look plastering itself on his face. "Nani? Lee…what are you doing here? Today's class is only for those that passed the final."

"I passed the exam, don't you see my Hitai-ate?" Lee answered calmly.

"How can someone who can't do Genjutsu or Ninjutsu pass." He demanded incredulously. "I can't believe they let you become a Shinobi, you're going to get somebody killed." The boy continued to grumble as he made his way to a seat at the back of the classroom, next to the window.

The class buzzed with noise as the students talked amongst themselves – waiting for their Sensei to arrive – telling each other what they had done the previous day to celebrate their graduation. The occasional verbal debate broke out, and a few teased each other good-naturedly as teens are known to do.

Sunlight filtered in through the slowly dissipating grey clouds that were left over from yesterdays rain. A boy, with pupil-less eyes, was sitting at the back of the class with his head resting against the windows glass watching the birds flying around and bathing in the puddles in the grounds that surrounded Konoha's Ninja Academy.

On the other side of the classroom from the boy, near the front of the class two girls talked amongst themselves while they listened – with half their attention – to the conversations going on around them. The girl seated closest to the wall had waist length orange hair, with natural red streaks, pulled back into a bun, held in place at the back of her head by hair stick like daggers. Her sandaled feet rested on top of the table, while she drew finger-doodles on her khaki pants with one hand, and twirled a Kunai in the other. She stopped when the person behind her reprimanded her, and told her she was going to poke someone's eye out.

She huffed, and dropped her legs off the table, so she could reach behind her back, and slip the blade back into the pouch there. As she sat back up, she straightened her black-green vest that she wore over a beige fishnet tank top combo. "Wimp." She glanced around the room; there was still no sign of their Sensei. She sighed and glanced at her friend, "Hey Tenten…When do you think Michiko-Sensei's gonna get here…? I'm getting bored."

The girl sighed and tugged on one of her bangs impatiently, the rest of her chocolate brown hair was kept up in two buns at either side of her head. "No idea, but I wish she'd hurry up." She wore a sleeveless pink, Chinese style shirt with three gold chain-like decorations across the front, and she drummed her fingers on one of her dark green Capri clad legs, attached to her right leg was her shuriken holster. "Anyway, who do you think you're going to be teamed up with Arika?" She flopped onto the desk in front of her and rested her head on her folded arms, closing her eyes.

Arika shrugged as she leaned back in her chair and lifted her feet back onto the table. "No clue. I asked Takora-nii-san last night about how this works. He said something about skills and balancing out the groups…or something along those lines. It was kind of long so I tuned him out halfway through his explanation." She chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

Tenten sighed at her friends short attention span, "You're hopeless Kimura. You know that?"

"I've been told that by many, many people." She grinned then winced as she received a rather hard punch in the arm.

A cough was heard from the front of the classroom and the students turned to the front of the class and saw their teacher standing there waiting patiently. Once everyone was settled she grinned at the gathered newly made Genin. "Good morning everyone."

"Good morning Michiko-Sensei."

"It's good to see that all of you passed. Now, from this day forward, you are no longer students of Ninjutsu, but full-fledged Shinobi." A few of the students cheered and she chuckled at their enthusiasm. "Though among the ranks of the Shinobi you are nothing but rookies, no experience, wet behind the ears brats. Your greatest trials all lie ahead." She laughed again as – instead of cheering – her soon to be ex-students groaned.

"Come on it's not all bad. The next step is the assignment of official duties to you all on behalf of our village. We will be dividing you into three-man teams. A Jônin – a more senior ninja – will mentor each cell. He or she will guide you and coach you as you become familiar with your various assignments."

Some excitement leaked back into the students. Arika leaned forwards in her chair grinning. '_This is great! Think of how much a Jônin could teach us._' She thought to herself as she tried to keep from bouncing in her seat. A glance over at Tenten told her that her friend had a similar thought running through her mind. They both looked at each other and grinned excitedly.

Michiko started speaking again, snapping the class's attention out of their imaginings and back into reality. "Now I've arranged the groups so that each teams skills will be pretty much equal."

"Aw man!"

She sweat dropped at their reactions but ignored it as best she could and started to read the first Cell from the list.

Ten minutes later

"Cell Nine: Mika Tatsukuro, Kimura Arika, and Sasuna Hirokazu."

Ari and a boy – with shoulder length moss green hair and angry red-purple eyes – at the back of the class, yelled at the same time. "Ah man, this sucks, I'm stuck with that baka?" They then both groaned simultaneously, much to the amusement of the class.

"Look at it this way, Ari-chan…" Tenten said, covering a laugh.

"Nani?" She eyed her friend's impish grin with unease.

"You're only stuck working with him for as long as it takes you to become a Chûnin."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better, Tenten?"

"Not in the least. Hehehe, sorry Ari." She ducked as Arika dealt a few swift blows to her skull, trying to protect her head. Tenten thanked her lucky stars that Arika was her friend, she wasn't the greatest at Tai-Jutsu but the girl could still pack a punch.

Once they calmed down they returned their attention to Michiko as she called out the last team.

"Cell 13: Rock Lee, Asano Tenten, and Hyuuga Neji."

After she located her two teammates, the boy at the back of the room with no pupils, Hyuuga Neji, and the Rock Lee, who was sitting in the middle if the classroom, Tenten sighed and let her head fall back onto her desk. "Great, I'm stuck with the Ice Prince and the kid with the caterpillar eyebrows."

Ari laughed at her brown haired friends predicament. "Look at it this way Ten…you only have to put up with them till you become a Chûnin."

"Oh shut-up, Arika." She grumbled darkly at having her earlier words turned back on her and ignored her friend's laughter as best she could.

* * *

Michiko had dismissed them for lunch and was going to introduce them to their Jônin instructors after the break. As Ari and Tenten exited the school they saw that most of the students were grouping into their Cells so that they could get to know one another over lunch.

The two Kunoichi sighed. "I'd trade you teams if I could, Tenten. But even I wouldn't want to subject my worst enemies to Hirokazu no Baka."

"Hehehe no worries, Ari, I'll be fine. Good luck!" She said and turned to walk over to her team. She waved over her shoulder as she walked away.

Ari sighed and turned to face her own team. Kazu was scowling off into the distance and Tatsukuro stood there calmly. "Hey guys," she said cheerfully as she stopped in front of her new teammates. Tatsukuro nodded politely and gave a small smile that she returned. In the four years that Ari had known him he never had been much for talking.

Hirokazu stood there with his arms crossed and eyes closed. He opened the eye that was closest to her revealing a red-purple eye that glared at her with distaste, "I can't believe I got stuck with you as a teammate, Kimura."

"Trust me, Sasuna, the feelings mutual." She said with a slight sneer and glared back.

They broke off their glaring contest when they heard Tatsukuro sigh. "You two aren't going to fight the whole time we're teammates are you?"

Ari couldn't help but grin at his restrained tone. "Don't worry Kuro I'll put all grievances aside in battle situations, my brother taught me how important teamwork is. I won't let a difference of opinion get in the way of my job, or at least I'll try not to."

Kuro nodded and turned his attention to Hirokazu; dark blue, almost black, eyes showed the disapproval he was feeling even if his face didn't show it. "And what about you?"

He just sneered, "Don't worry about me. You two handle your ends, and I'll handle mine."

"I think that's the best we're going to get."

"Yeah, I think you're right. Okay fair enough I guess."

After that Hirokazu more or less ignored whatever Ari and Kuro were talking about, unless he felt the need to add his own input. A few times Ari and Kazu downgraded into verbal battles, but Tatsukuro usually put a stop to it, or let it go until one or the other lost.

Once they saw the other students making their way back into the school they got up as well and followed them in.

Each student now sat with the members of his or her Cell. Cell Nine took up residence at one of the tables near the middle of the class, and waited for their new Sensei to show up. Arika saw Tenten and her Cell near the back of the class. Neji wasn't even looking at his teammates. Lee and Tenten seemed to be having a conversation about something but it looked a little forced on Tenten's end.

About five minutes after everyone was seated, people that they had never seen before started to show up in class. Michiko would talk with them for a few minutes before calling out a Cell number.

Ari and her teammates didn't have long to wait. Michiko turned from talking to a female Jônin with long braided purple hair and called up to them. "Cell Nine, your Sensei's here."

As he stood up Kazu mumbled, "About time," and made his way to the front of the class, with Ari and Kuro following.

Arika and Tatsukuro sighed; they'd only been waiting ten minutes. '_He sure is impatient._'

"They seem to have a problem with one member, Iko. Are you sure it was wise to put them together?" Asked the Kunoichi, skepticism written all over her face, as she watched her new underlings walk down the stairs.

"Don't worry. It may seem odd, yes, but I'm confident they'll work well together. Their individual strengths balance out their teammates' weaknesses. When you perform your test you'll see what I mean."

"Okay, I'll take your word for it." She grinned as the students approached, "Hello… So you guys are Cell Nine, ne?"

Kazu rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Gee, how observant of you." Ari heard and stomped down hard on his foot. "Ow!"

"Don't be rude, Kazu."

Nariko waved a hand in dismissal. "It's okay. He can be rude if he wants, I don't really care, and I'll be rude right back. And having much more experience at being insulting than he is, I predict that if he keeps this up, he'll be running home crying by the end of the day. Now if you'll follow me, your training starts now." With that said she turned and walked out of the room, her waist long purple braid fluttering behind her as she went.

The three Genin's stared after her speechlessly, practically the same thoughts running through each if their minds, '_She's our Jônin instructor? She's almost as immature as some kids our age._'

Nariko stuck her head back in the door and gave the three Genin a flat look, silver eyes flashing with amusement as she said, "Are you three coming or are you just going to stand there and stare off into space? Lets go." She disappeared into the hall again. The three Ninja's looked at each other in astonishment then ran to catch up with their odd, new Sensei.

* * *

Cell Nine sat on the ground in front of their Sensei. They were out near one of the practice grounds that were available for the Shinobi of Konoha to use during their downtime between missions, and for the Genin and Academy Students training. Nariko sat on a log that seemed to have been place there for seemingly no reason other than to sit on. She eyed the three quietly sitting Genin's with interest. They were looking at her like she had two heads or something. She kept the amused grin off her face with some difficulty as she asked, "Is there a problem?"

It was Arika who answered, "Iie Sensei, it's just that um…"

"Hai…?"

The boy with moss green hair snorted and tossed his teammate a dry look, "What Arika's trying to say is that you seem way too immature to be Jônin."

Ari tossed the boy an astounded look before glaring at him, "That wasn't what I meant Kazu."

"Yes it was, you were just to afraid to say it!"

As the two new Shinobi downgraded into yet another argument, the fourth member of their cell ran a hand through his ice blue tipped black hair and sighed in frustration. Nariko looked over at him and ask while pointing at the pair, "Aren't you going to stop them?"

"They've been arguing ever since they met a week ago. I've tried to stop them a couple of times today, but it's just better if they just work it out this way. It'll stop in a few minutes."

"In a battle you may not have a few minutes," she said calmly but with disapproval clear in her voice. Kazu and Ari stopped arguing and looked towards their Sensei, then back at each other. Their argument stopped and they looked at the ground in embarrassment, both mumbling apologies. Actually only Ari looked apologetic, Kazu looked more mutinous than anything.

"Okay, but you two are going to need to learn how to put stuff like this aside, unless it will effect how you perform in missions then you have to get it out in the open. Otherwise keep it to yourselves until a more appropriate time, understood?"

"Yes Sensei."

"Good…but just call me Nariko, or Nari…Sensei makes me sound old, and I am not that old." She said grinning at their bewildered faces.

Tatsukuro looked at her strangely be fore saying, "Most Jônin, or any older Shinobi for that matter, would take offense if a Genin addressed them without some form that we acknowledge them as our betters."

"Yes well I'm not most Ninja. I don't care if you do or not, and unless I specifically request that you do, I don't expect it. So that's some stuff about me, why don't you tell me a little about yourselves?"

"Like what?" all three asked.

"Well names, age, likes/dislikes, stuff like that. You with the green hair, why don't you start off."

"Whatever. My name's Sasuna Hirokazu, but I prefer Kazu or Roka, and I'm 12. Likes: um…candy, all kinds; learning new Ninjutsu's -- they're what I'm best at; arguing, pranking, and scaring the crap out of people for no reason other than to amuse myself. My Dislikes: I hate cheese, Ramen, Clans -- I think they're pointless, and just one huge problem. Rain, getting up early, dogs, and this village." He said the last with a dark smirk.

Nariko nodded, '_Hm, interesting…_' "Okay next…"

Arika decided to go, "My names Kimura Arika," Nariko raised a purple eyebrow at the family name but she didn't say anything. Arika didn't notice but her teammates did, though they didn't say anything either. "But most people just call me Ari, and I'm 11, going on 12. I like to hang out with my friends, spar with my older brother Takora, watch the sunrise and set, make up all kinds of Jutsu, but mostly Genjutsu's, I'm best at those; some kinds of candy, and practicing with my Glaive. My dislikes include traditions, formalities, my family except for a select few, tea, and not being able to defend myself."

"All right and the last one."

"I'm Mika Tatsukuro, and I'm 12 also. I like peace and quiet, rain, reading, learning new Taijutsu moves, Sweet Buns, meditating, stargazing, facts, and thinking things through. My dislikes are overly loud noises, extreme hot or cold weather; I prefer warm. Snow, deserts, deserters, immature people, pointless arguments, and thunderstorms."

Nariko nodded, "Hm, Iko was right their individual skills and personalities should balance each other out nicely," she mumbled.

"What was that Nariko-san?"

"Hm? Oh nothing just mumbling to myself. And what did I tell you about the honorifics, Arika?"

"Gomen Nariko-s…um?"

"Hehehe, it's okay Ari don't worry about it…so onto our first mission. This mission will only include the members of our little group here."

"What's our first assignment Nariko?"

"Good question Tatsukuro…meet me here at quarter to eight tonight, and I'll explain then. Bring all your Ninja gear." After that was said she disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the three Genin sitting confused in the grass.

"Well," Ari said to no one in particular. "That was interesting. She has to be the single most strangest person I have ever met…and I know people that talk to dogs and bugs on a regular basis."

"Yeah, and I thought you were weird…hag."

"**Urusai, **baka." She reached over and cuffed him up side the head as she got to her feet. "I'm heading home, I need food and sleep, and I gotta find my weapon bag. See you guys tonight, Ja ne." She took a few steps back towards the direction of the village and then jumped up into the trees, disappearing into the foliage.

Tatsukuro stood up and stretched, arching his back till the sound of his spine popping back into place and realigning itself was heard. "Ah, I'm heading out too. Ja, Roka."

"Sure whatever. Later." Kazu hopped up onto his feet and started walking towards the forest, this way he'd avoid the crowds of the village. Tatsukuro shook his head and headed off in the same direction Arika had, but he decided to walk instead of going through the trees, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

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Well what'd you think? Good? Bad? Good but needs improvement? Leave a review and tell me what you think. I have four chapters done so far and once I get chapter 5 done I'll post chapter 2. 

Things heat up a bit in the next chapter as most of it...or all of it (can't remember) is the test.


	2. Chapter 2

The three Genin's arrived at relatively the same time at the field where they had talked with Nariko earlier that day. Kazu had a small shoulder bag slung over his shoulder and two hilts were sticking up over the tops of his shoulders, one on each side. Tatsukuro had metal greaves on his forearms and shins, and extra Kunai and Shuriken stuck into the belt that was fastened across his upper body. Arika, like Kazu, had a shoulder bag hanging off one shoulder and strapped across her back – blade facing towards the ground – was a Glaive.

Kazu eyed the weapon suspiciously, "Do you even know how to use that thing, Kimura?"

"I wouldn't be carrying it around if I didn't."

"I guess…why do you think Nariko wanted us out here so late?" He yawned and glanced around the field they had been in early that day with more interest than he had before.

Ari shrugged off her shoulder bag, and started pulling extra Kunai and Shuriken out of it, as well as some scrolls and exploding notes, and stuffed them into the pouch attached to her belt. She shrugged her shoulders to Kazu's question. "It's not late, you lazy ass. And I have no clue…she said she would explain at a quarter to…I think we're a little early."

"Actually you three are right on time," a swirl of smoke and Chakra and their bizarre Sensei stood before them with no extra bag or anything, just what she had been wearing before, standard Jônin gear.

After a few moments of silence Kazu asked, "So what are we here for?"

"Patience is a virtue you know, Kazu."

"Well it's not one of mine strong points."

"Apparently…well whatever on with the mission. This will be a survival mission," as her students were about to protest she raised her hand. "But…this will not be a normal survival mission."

"How's it different, Sen…Nariko?"

Nari grinned at Ari's cut off 'Sensei' before answering, "You usually just had to survive against other students, ne?" They nodded. "Well in this you have to survive against me." She gave them a wicked grin that told them she was enjoying herself greatly.

"WHAT!"

Nariko laughed at their expressions. She took her time looping her waist long braid in on itself so it hung just below her shoulder blades. "It's not so bad. All you have to do is get these two red flags from me and you complete the assignment." She reached to the pouch at her back and produced two red flags, which she then looped through her belt. "But…there's a catch…" the three Genin looked at her expectantly, worried frowns on their faces. "In order to pass to become Genin, you have to get these flags. Otherwise it's back to the academy for you."

"Then what the hell was that other damned test for?" Kazu demanded red-purple eyes glaring angrily.

Nariko met his eyes easily, "To see who among you and your classmates had what it takes to become Shinobi."

"Well that's just fucking pointless…"

"You may think so, Kazu (and watch your language)…but what if we threw untrained kids up against a Chûnin, or a Jônin, the first day they stepped into the Academy? They would have been seriously injured, killed, or would have given up on being Ninja all together! Training is important; it not only builds up skills, but it also builds up your confidence in those skills. You may think it's pointless, but without it, you guys wouldn't even be here, or you'd be dead. Now is that all the questions? 'Cause if that's it, then I want to get started."

The three Junior Ninja looked at her in surprise at the abrupt change of topic. Arika decided to get in a one more question before they started, "How much time do we have to get the flags from you?"

"You have from 8 till Midnight to get them."

"Four hours? Isn't that a bit long?" Kazu asked incredulously.

Tatsukuro and Ari both shot him a look that told him to keep his mouth shut. Which he did, but not without sending a glare of his own back at his two teammates.

It was Tatsukuro who voiced the next question, "Are there any other limitations, or rules, we should know about?"

"You can use any Jutsu or weapon you want. Hm…I think that's it. Oh and if you don't come at me with the intent to seriously injure and/or kill me, there is no way you can beat me. That clear?"

They way she said it threw them off guard. Ari was the first to voice her objection. "But Nariko, that's dangerous."

"Nah, you guys are just Genin, I doubt you pose any real threat to anyone, much less me. I'm just saying that if you don't, you'll have no chance whatsoever."

"Okay…if you're sure."

"I'm sure. So what do you say we get this started. On my signal…3…2" The three Genin dropped into ready stances, all eyes on Nariko waiting for her to make a move. "…1…GO!" The four ninja disappeared in swirls of dust, leaves, and Chakra.

* * *

**Two Hours Later**

"Spark Rain no Jutsu!"

"Fuck…Earth Shield Method!"

Sparks rained down on the dome of earth that formed over the crouching Kazu, creating a large cloud of dust. When the dome fell away and the dust cleared Kazu could see no sign of his adversary. He cursed a blue streak as he faded back into the trees behind him. He paused in a clump of bushes to catch his breath. They had been at this for two hours now and not one of them had even come close to getting one of the flags from Nariko. A few moments after he had dropped down into the safety of the bushes, he was joined by his two teammates.

Arika's hair was matted with sweat, and sticks and leaves stuck out everywhere, her clothes had a few rips in them, and she had dried blood on her arms and face mingling with streaks of dirt. Tatsukuro was in a similar state, but he had more bruises and cuts than either of his teammates put together, his bottom lip was split and bleeding, and a cut above his eye was seeping blood slowly, obscuring his vision, his reddish-brown muscle-shirt seemed to be the only thing without rips in it, as his blue shorts had quite a few. How he had managed that remained a mystery.

"Did you have any luck?" Ari asked, wiping blood off her cheek with the back of her hand. Kazu was surprised to see that there was no cut beneath the blood, but shook it off as his exhausted mind playing tricks on him.

"None. You guys?" They shook their head in a negative. "Damn it all to hell. I really don't want to have to take Genin training over again. There has to be a way to get those fuckin' flags from her." He reached down and ripped a strip out of the hem of his red pants and tied it around a vicious cut on his arm that he had received from one of Nariko's Kunai's that he had only just managed to dodge. His sleeveless gray shirt and a few rips in it, and the zipper was almost completely ripped out.

"There has to be more to this than just what she told us. She wouldn't give us an impossible task to complete with the stakes this high." Tatsukuro sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair.

"Look we've all tried going at her one-on-one and haven't gotten anywhere, ne?" The two boys looked at Ari and nodded. "Then why don't we try going at her all at once, a team effort. I mean we're a Cell aren't we? We're supposed to work together."

"I think Arika's right…going at Nari one-on-one isn't getting us anywhere. We'd stand a much better chance if we went at her all at once. Even a Jônin should have trouble fighting off three people at once, even if we are just Genin."

Kazu shook his head scowling at his fellow Genin. "No way, you Leaf-Nin's are nothing but trouble."

"If you hadn't already noticed, you're a Leaf-Nin now, too." Ari said pushing his forehead protector with a finger. Kazu just scowled at her, and smacked her hand away.

Tatsukuro shook his head. "I don't know why you hate the people of Konoha so much, and frankly I don't really care. I just have one thing to say, and I'm not going to repeat it, so you had better listen." Kazu glowered at this but listened nonetheless. "It is not our fault that you are in Konoha, so you shouldn't be taking out your frustration on us when it serves no logical purpose. You should make the best of the situation you are in and learn from it, not hold it at arms length like it's a paper bomb that could go off at any moment. Now the fact of the matter is we need your help in this…now are you going to work with us or not?"

Kazu looked at him in surprise, and felt some of the hatred he felt towards his teammates lessen. He thought about what had just been said and shook his head. "I don't know…I'm not used to working with people. I'd rather just go on my own."

"What and get your ass whopped again?" Kazu shot her a glare and she sighed. "Look I'm not thrilled about working with you either Roka, but I have to become a Genin, I refuse to…" she shook her head to clear her thoughts and glared at Kazu again, ignoring the odd looks she was getting from him and Tatsukuro. "Let's just put our differences aside and work together on this…I got a few ideas to get passed her electric Jutsu, but I'm no good at planning, and I know that you are. We need your help. Please Kazu?"

Kazu looked at Ari, astonishment on both their faces. After a few tense moments Kazu nodded and smirked at his teammates. "All right I'll help."

Tatsukuro and Ari both grinned at him nodding their approval and accepting his offer. "So…just what did you have in mind to get passed that damned Jutsu of hers." Ari smirked and started to explain exactly what she had in mind.

From high up in a tree, out of earshot, Nariko watched her three students conspiring her downfall. '_I was wondering if they'd figure it out or not._' She smirked – and in a swirl of leaves – was gone.

* * *

**Nariko's POV**

I stood in the center of the clearing watching my surroundings intently, though my posture gave off the impression that I was relaxed and that my guard was down. There's only an hour and a half left for my students to get the flags from me, and they haven't attacked me, or even shown any sign that they were going to, for the last 30 minutes, and I'm beginning to wonder if they've given up. At least that was until a salvo of Shuriken and Kunai came flying at me from three different directions.

They were coming at me from the sides and from behind, and they were angled so that if I went up I would get hit as well. I had no choice but to go forward. I gather my feet beneath me and jump forward, and then run a few feet. Soon after I'm forced to duck and come to a sliding halt as Tatsukuro, flies overhead, his foot only missing my skull by mere inches. He lands and launches himself at me again. We engaged in a few quick bouts of Taijutsu before breaking apart.

Tatsukuro was panting trying to regain his breath, but was still in a fighting stance. I hadn't even broken a sweat and was standing there calmly watching my student. "You're pretty good Tatsukuro. They don't teach some of those moves to students, where'd you learn them?"

He smirked as he answered, "My father and my sister have been teaching me since I was six years old." He reached behind him and pulled out a Kunai, gripping it easily in his hands. "Want to see something else they taught me?"

"Hehehe, sure. Show me what you got." I blink as Tatsukuro charges at me. He was moving a lot faster than before, his feet seem to have melded into the shadows of the trees and grass on the ground. I jump back trying to keep some distance between us. As I jumped back I notice something out of the corner of my eye, another Tatsukuro was charging at me, it/he was closer than the first. I turn to face it and caught the fist that was thrown at my face and the kick that was aimed for my stomach. As I was about to toss the second Tatsukuro away I felt something slice into the cloth of my sleeve. I toss the Tatsukuro whose attacks I had blocked away and whirled around to attack the one that was slicing at my shirt. My fist connected nothing but Chakra smoke.

About 20 yards away stood a smirking Tatsukuro, and when I turned to look back at the other person I'd thrown, I saw a grinning Ari sitting in a crouch. I had to grin at their plan, it had been brilliant, and I almost hadn't been able to tell the Henge Tatsukuro from the real one. "Not bad you two…but as you can see the two of you can't beat me on your own,"

"Hehehe…who says that they're on their own, _Sensei_?" Kazu appeared behind me, the blades - thatI had seen strapped to his back earlier -were drawn, and he held the one and a half foot blades like he knew how to use them.

"Decide to help out your teammates after all, Kazu?"

"Well going at it alone was getting us nowhere…and since they practically begged for my help…I decided to be nice and play along." His statement was greeted by laughter.

"We'll get you back for that comment later, Kazu. Right now lets just finish what we came here to do, ne?"

**Normal POV**

"Hai." With that out of the way Kazu charged at her. Once he was a few feet away, he jumped into the air twisting slightly so that as he landed and slashed at Nari with one sword, he would already have the momentum to swing around and slash at her with the other. Nariko dodged the first and blocked the other. She knocked his arm wide, leaving him open so she could plant her foot on his chest and kick him away from her. He flipped with the kick to land on his feet, but stumbled backwards, barely managing to keep his balance.

Arika and Tatsukuro leapt at her then, Ari going in low and Tatsukuro coming in high. She smirked at her students and disappeared once again. Ari and Tatsukuro redirected their attacks in the nick of time so the didn't hit each other. Then the three Genin disappeared as well to a previously chosen location.

* * *

"Did you get it Kuro?"

"Of course…I told you I would."

"That was great, hehehe. When you said you were good at Genjutsu you weren't kidding, Kimura."

"Of course, I wouldn't lie at a time like this. Now we ready?"

"Yeah,"

"Damn straight,"

"Heh, then lets go get those flags. Kuro?"

He nodded and placed the piece of black cloth on the ground in front of him. He quickly drew a circle around it in the dirt then preformed a few quick seals to focus his Chakra. "Tracking no Jutsu," the piece of black cloth glowed for a few seconds before dying down. He picked it up and shoved it in his pocket. "Come on, she's this way," he started off heading west and a little south, with his teammates right behind him.

* * *

The three Genin hid in the bushes on the fringes of the clearing, Nariko sat in the middle of the clearing, in the lotus position. Roka tilted his head in confusion as the regarded their Sensei. "What the hell? Why is she just sitting there?"

Ari shrugged, "I don't know, maybe she gathering Chakra…or sensing for ours. Should I go now, or should we wait to see what she's up to?"

Kazu considered the question for a second before answering. "Get this thing started, Ari. We don't know how long she's been sitting there, so you have a 50/50 chance of disrupting what ever she's doing."

"Right. Here I go." She brought her hands up in front of her and ran threw a few seals – Snake, Rabbit, and Tiger. Four large tigers with an Ari on each of their shoulders surrounded Nariko.

Her eyes snapped open as she looked at the illusion in surprise. "Not bad Arika…so which Ari is real, I wonder." Ari burst from the bushes and rushed up behind one of the tigers as they all charged at her, and the Ari's on the backs of the tigers all drew Kunai's.

Nariko brought her hands up in front of her and preformed the seals they all by now recognized as the seals for her Spark Rain no Jutsu. Both attacks hit at the same time, the tigers pounced on Nariko disappearing as the sparks hit them, and from behind one of the tigers Ari ran up and sliced at her Sensei with one of the Kunai that she held in each of her hands. Nari dodged the strike by stepping aside and brought her hand down on the back of Ari's neck, who then disappeared in a puff of smoke, to be replaced by a log. The Jônin dodged again as Kazu leapt at her back trying to cut her down with one of his blades.

The routine of Ari and Kazu attacking and Nariko easily dodging went on for about five minutes. Both Genin leapt away finally, trying to catch their breath. They eyed their Sensei wearily waiting to see if she would attack them now.

"Where's Tatsukuro? You guys only have five minutes left to get the flags, I hope you realize that."

"Duh! We know that, old hag. (Nariko's eyebrow twitched at the "old" comment)If you'd just hold still for more than half a second we would be done this by now!" Kazu shouted irritated by Nari's apparent lack of interest in whether they passed or not. Patience never has been his strongest virtue, and this "test" was starting to grate on his nerves.

"Well if you guys could come up with a plan that would get me to hold still you'd have gotten the flags by now." She taunted leaning back on her heels and cracking her knuckles. "But you seem to be lacking in the planning department, as well as in the patience department."

Kazu and Arika smirked, "That's what you think, _Sensei_…"

Nariko looked at her two students with confusion. They shifted suddenly and they both wore triumphant grins, almost mischievous, and when she felt a tug on her belt she whirled around.

Tatsukuro stood behind her one hand held one of the red flags that she had had looped through her belt, her whirling around had ripped the other one from his other hand. After realizing this she turned surprised eyes to the black and blue haired boy, and got a good look at him for the first time. Half of him was surrounded by shadows. '_That's a Hunter-Nin and ANBU trick…where'd a kid this young learn something like that?_' Tatsukuro back-flipped away from his recovering bewildered Sensei, putting some distance between them. Once he landed he tied the red flag around his head; it contrasted nicely with his black and blue hair.

"Not bad…looks like I was wrong about the strategy part. But you now just have two minutes to get the last flag, and now I'm that I'm on guard, you have no chance."

"We'll just have to see about that, _Sensei_. Earth Storm no Jutsu!" a cloud of dust and rocks kicked up and the Jônin, who closed her eyes to keep the dirt out as soon as the Jutsu started, dropped into a fighting stance, ready for the three Genin to attack. They didn't keep her waiting long.

It was Kazu and Ari who leapt at her, jumping right into the dust cloud. Kazu went in low causing her to jump up and right into Ari's attack. Nariko grabbed Ari's arm as she tried to slice at her and tossed her away. She then landed on Kazu's back, but he disappeared and was replaced by a log. '_Well one thing's for sure: they definitely know how to use Bunshin's and Kawarmi to their advantage._'

Out of nowhere a leopard leapt at her through the fading dust, she took a step back only to be tripped by Tatsukuro who had used the dust as well as the shadows as a cover and had snuck in close enough to knock the Jônin's legs out from underneath her. As the leopard continued its jump over her it vanished, and her arms were pinned to the ground by a grinning Arika and Kazu. Tatsukuro appeared to one side grinning as well, but not as widely as his teammates. The two Genin that pinned her pumped Chakra into their arms to strengthen the hold they had on their Sensei's. Kuro reached down to grab the final flag, but before his fingers could even reach it the bell that told them that their time was up sounded in the distance.

Ari let go of the arm she held and stopped pushing Chakra into her arms. She stared miserably off into the air in front of her, not really seeing her surroundings at all, and only half hearing the conversation that was talking place.

"No way…we were so close," Kazu moaned as he released Nariko's arm and flopped back to lie on his back.

"I wondered why you didn't move after they pinned you. You could have easily gotten away; they left your legs un-pinned."

Nariko nodded as she sat up. "Yes that's true. But I was very impressed with the strategy that you three used. I've never seen Genin use that level of planning."

"I'm guessing that's not enough for you to let us pass though, is it?" Kazu mumbled.

"No it's not…but the fact that you three put aside your differences to try and get the flags is."

Kazu pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked at her in surprise. Ari heard the last bit and looked sharply at her Sensei, "You want to repeat that last part, please?"

Nariko chuckled, "I said that your planning skills aren't enough to allow me to pass you, but the fact that you three used teamwork to try and bring me down is."

"You…you mean we pass?"

"Yup. Cell Nine, welcome to life as a Shinobi."

Tatsukuro blinked and let the information sink in for a few seconds before beaming at his Sensei. Kazu whopped and threw his arms in the air, collapsing back on the dirt when his arms no longer supported him. Ari had a similar reaction to Tatsukuro but instead of just smiling she grinned and threw herself at her teacher and hugged her tightly. "Thank you!"

Nariko grinned and gave the girl a one armed hug. "No problem."

Kazu paused in his celebrations to look suspiciously at his teacher. "Mind if I ask you a question, Nariko?"

"Go ahead,"

"The whole idea of this little exercise from hell was to see if we'd work as a team, wasn't it?"

"You got it."

"But then why the fuck didn't you tell us that in the first place!"

"Because then it wouldn't have been much of a test, now would it! And stop swearing! I wanted you three to work it out amongst yourselves. There will come a time when you have to work with people you don't know, don't like, or both. But you will have to, to survive. So I wanted to see if you had the necessary skills and the means to swallow your prides and ask one another for help. Do you see the object of the test now Kazu?"

"Yeah, it makes sense…but it still sucks,"

"Well you better get used to it, cause what I just told you happens about 75 of the time during a Shinobi's life."

"Aw man…"

"Well that's all I have for you right now…go home, get some rest, 'cause tomorrow we start real missions."

"Yes Sensei,"

"And what have I told you about calling me Sensei?"

"Sorry Sensei,"

"That's it!" Ari and Tatsukuro laughed as Nariko grabbed Kazu around the neck and trapped him in a headlock, trying to ruffle his hair through his head protector, which was wrapped over his head bandana-style. Needless to say Cell Nine's Genin years were going to be very interesting.

* * *

Please Review.


	3. Chapter 3

The afternoon sun shone down on the village of Konohagakure, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Birds flew threw the air and sung in the trees, you could hear the noise from the distant market as a gentle hum in the background. Everyone was enjoying the peace and quiet as they went about their daily routines…well almost everyone.

It was about five months after Cell 9had passed Nariko's test that she called Extreme Flags: Ninja Style – which she had them do at least once a week. They had yet to manage to get both flags, but they were getting closer each time. Cell Nine had been doing 'D' rank mission since then and Kazu was getting more than a little fed up with it. But not as fed up as he was getting with the kids who were, at the moment, using him as their own personal Jungle Gym. "Argh! Get off me you little menace…Ow! Hey that's attached to my skull thank you very much! Leggo!"

A cheer was heard as the pile of stonesArika held in her cupped hands transformed into a flock of brightly coloured birds. "Chill out Roka. They're not going to kill you. They're just kids."

"Yeah well these "kids" are using my hair as a climbing rope, Kimura. Ow…do something, damn it!"

"Watch your mouth, there are children around, baka." He growled something at her and she rolled her eyes. "Fine, hold on..." She quickly turned a bunch of leaves into oversized rabbits, which immediately started to hop away. "Go ahead, chase them. Try and catch them before they change back." As the kids raced off to chase the rabbits, Arika got up and walked over to Kazu; what she saw made her want to burst out laughing. She fought very hard not to. He was standing, but only barely. The kid that apparently had been using his hair as a rope now stood on his shoulders, with Roka holding onto one of his legs, to keep him from falling. His other arm had two, three year olds hanging off it, and a fourth child was clinging to his leg.

"Don't even think about laughing, Arika. Or as soon as this _mission_ is over with, I will pound you into the ground."

"I'm sorry Roka. You just look so…hilarious! You have no idea. Man I wish I had a camera."

Roka's left eyebrow started to twitch in annoyance, as Ari dissolved into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. "Right, that's it. As soon as I'm free, or this joke of a mission is over, you're Jutsu fodder, Kimura." Ari fell to the ground; she was laughing so hard that her legs could no longer support her. He couldn't really give off a threatening vibe when he had four children under the age of five climbing all over him, and when he tried Ari just laughed harder.

Tatsukuro suddenly appeared beside his fallen teammate and raised a black eyebrow in question. "Ari what's…" she continued to laugh as she pointed a shaking hand in front of her, his gaze followed to where she was pointing. He broke into a highly amused grin at the site of Kazu teetering under the weight of the four toddlers. "Having some "little" problems there, Kazu?"

"Don't you start too, Tatsukuro."

"Heh, sorry."

Nariko exited the daycare building then with the main childcare giver. The Jônin took one look at her student and burst out laughing. "How-how did you get yourself in-into such a mess, Kazu?" She managed to get out between fits of laughter. Kazu's eyebrow started to twitch more, but it only went noticed by Tatsukuro since he was the only one not suffering from uncontrollable laughter. He started nudging Arika with his foot.

"Hahaha ... what, Kuro? Stop kicking me, what?" He pointed at the seething Kazu, and she 'eeped'.

"Um, Nariko-san, didn't you come out here to tell the children something?" Asked the childcare giver, eyeing the laughing Jônin wearily.

"Hehehe, hm? Oh yeah! Okay kiddies, we're done for the day. Kazu you can stop being a jungle gym now."

"Finally! Okay munchkins off, off, offoffoff!" The two that had been hanging on his arm dropped down happily and started to help try and catch the remainder of the rabbits that were still running around. Kazu then reached up and lifted the one off his shoulders and placed him on the ground, and removed the young girl that clutched his leg. "Freedom!" He leapt off the ground, getting out of the playground he had spent the last four hours in; he landed on the top of one of the electrical poles. "Now I have a teammate to kill…Arika, you are toast!"

"Ah come on Kazu, I didn't mean it…what about Nariko? She was laughing too, y'know." She started backing away, out towards the street so she had some room to maneuver.

"True…but she's a Jônin and way above my butt-kicking level and can therefore, kick my ass…you on the other hand are not, and therefore make a much easier target. Now get back here!"

"Aie!" She leapt over the fence surrounding the pre-school and dashed off up the street towards Genin Head Quarters, with Kazu close behind.

Tatsukuro and Nariko followed at a more leisurely pace. Nariko sighed as she watched her two immature students chase each other around the street. "Do you think they'll ever grow up?"

"Hm…probably not. But look at it this way, Nari."

"Yeah?"

"At least they've stopped using Jutsu's on one another."

"I guess that's true," Nariko sighed.

* * *

Cell Nine waited their turn to speak with the Hokage and Michiko. As the Hokage spoke with the person in line ahead of them, Iko – only half paying attention to the conversation – could hear Arika and Kazu arguing, once again, in whispers.

"I still don't get why they had to use me as a Jungle Gym, I mean there was an actual Gym in the damn playground like five feet away from me…why couldn't they use that?"

"Shut up already would you, Sasuna. You've done nothing but complain since we started today's mission."

"Is it my fault that the missions have been boring me out of my mind lately, or that I got used as a climbing apparatus!"

"We're only Genin, dumbass. We can't get anything higher than a 'D' Rank till we make Chunin, or have way more than five months on active duty under our belts. Now shush damn it!"

"Don't tell me to shush…"

"Then quit being a baka…it could have been worse. We could have been out in the boiling sun, picking weeds today instead, like Cell 13 is. Now stop complaining before I invent a silence Jutsu and use it to shut your trap."

"If I have to separate you two, it will not be pretty," Nariko said out of the corner of her mouth to her two arguing students.

"Sorry, Nariko-Sensei…"

"And stop calling me Sensei!" she said a little louder than she had meant to, raising a fist threateningly.

"Nariko, is there a problem?" The Hokage had finished his conversation a few seconds earlier and had watched the interaction between teacher and students with undecided feelings of amusement and annoyance. It seemed this generation of Ninja had no respect for their elders.

"Uh, no Hokage-sama I was just dealing with two of my students." She bowed to the elderly Ninja lord before turning back to her two students and hissing, "Behave you two."

"Yes Nariko-Sensei…" Nariko's eye began to twitch, and the two mischievous Genin grinned innocently.

"Are you two not liking the missions, Arika? Kazu?" Iko asked grinning at the two Genin.

"No Michiko-Sensei, there fine."

"I think they suck,"

"Kazu, **urusai**!"

"Ow!" Both Genin clutched their skulls where Nariko had just hit them over the head. "What was that for?" they demanded.

"Didn't I tell you two to behave?"

"She asked us a question, so we answered…" they answered in unison and the stereo effect surprised Nari for a second, but she recovered quickly.

"That's not the point," as Sensei and students argued the Sandaime and Iko tried not to laugh. The immaturity of Nariko was infamous among the Konoha Jônin Elite, but it didn't keep her from doing her job, so most people just ignored it. And the animosity between Arika and Kazu was ignored also; kids will be kids.

Tatsukuro sighed in resignation. '_How did I get stuck with such immature teammates'_ Nariko punched Kazu in the side of the head again. _'…though are Sensei isn't much better…_'

Michiko turned to the Hokage after getting her laughter in check and asked, "Do you think we should give them a tougher mission. They seem able to handle it, judging by Nariko's training reports, and what she says about their teamwork…once they put their differences aside anyway. Besides it would be fun to see how they handle the big bad world. Especially Ari and Kazu, those two haven't stopped fighting since they met a week before they graduated. And that was almost six months ago."

The Hokage chuckled at the last bit of information. Reminding him of his own students long ago. "I don't see why not," said the Village leader. "It's relatively low risk, and I don't think they should run into too many problems. Besides I want to give this years Genin something a little tougher eventually, to test how they will handle the "real world", so-to-speak."

"All right then." She nodded before digging into the pile of papers in front of her and pulling out a sheet. "Nariko…Nariko…Taska!"

The purple-haired Jônin stopped arguing with her students and whirled around looking at the teacher in surprise, "Hai Iko?"

"I have you and your teams, next mission…"

"It better not be babysitting again," Nariko raised a fist and Kazu covered his head. "Okay, okay, I'll shut up."

Iko chuckled as she handed the slip of paper to Nari. "It's not babysitting. We've decided to give you guys something a little different. The Hokage has decided that it would be safe enough to give you a 'C' ranked mission."

" 'C' rank…hot damn! Now you're talking."

Nariko looked surprised as she took the sheet of paper from Iko, but shrugged it off. She knew that they wouldn't give them anything too difficult, nothing that their level of training wasn't enough for. Ari and Tatsukuro grinned, while Kazu continued to have his own little party inside his head.

"You'll be delivering a Scroll for us. You are not to open and/or read this Scroll under any circumstances is that understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," the three Genin answered, Kazu having to pause his mental victory dance to do so.

"Good."

"Ano, Hokage-sama…"

"Yes Arika?"

"Where is it we'll be delivering the Scroll to, and who are we giving it to?"

"Excellent questions. Michiko?"

"You'll be delivering the Scroll to the Head of the Village Hidden Amongst the Grass." She explained to the celebrating Genin.

No one but Nariko noticed that Ari had paled slightly at the mention of Hidden Grass. '_I'll have to ask her about it before we leave._' She thought to herself before turning to the Hokage and asking, "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, as early as you can manage it."

"All right. I'll come pick up the scroll at 9:00am, and we'll leave by 9:30am." The Hokage nodded, accepting her schedule. "Okay Cell Nine, head home and get some rest, and Kazu, make sure you're up."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be up."

"You better be. Okay you're all dismissed…Arika could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Um…Hai Sen…Nariko,"

'_She hasn't accidentally almost called me Sensei in like three months…she must be really nervous about something._' She nodded and headed out of the Genin Mission Office, Arika followed her silently.

* * *

Once they reached the roof of the Genin HQ Nariko motioned for Ari to sit down. Ari dropped herself onto one of the ventilation duct exits and eyed her Sensei with some trepidation. "Am I in trouble, Nariko?"

"No you're not…I just wanted to ask about your reaction to being told that we're going to Grass."

"Oh that…it's nothing really. I've just never been outside the Fire Country before so I'm a little nervous…" she looked out over the edge of the building, towards the forest. She was avoiding looking at her Sensei trying to hide the nervousness that was on her face. She could keep from speaking her mind most of the time, but keeping the more extreme emotions of her face was not Arika's strong point, though she was getting better.

"That's not what it was Ari, don't lie."

Ari's gaze snapped to her Sensei, surprise was written all over her features. She wasn't really used to her lies being caught so easy by people who didn't know her very well, or hadn't known her for a long time, even if she wasn't good at keeping her emotions off her face.

"So, you going to tell me the truth?"

"Ano…it's just that…" she sighed dejectedly, her hands gripping the material of her khaki pants tightly. "It's my Clan. My old Village – Hibaku – is one of the last ones before you cross into Grass, depending on which way you take. I haven't been back there for years…since I was eight. My brother and I, we didn't leave on very good terms with our Clan. My Uncle has been trying to get us to come back for years. It was the main reason I wanted to become a Genin, so that he could have no real say on where I lived."

Nariko nodded in understanding. She sat on the duct across from her student. "It's not always easy to defy the Head of a Clan…"

She laughed at the statement; a hint of irony tainting her voice. "My Uncle is not the Head of the Clan…he's a member of the Second or Cousin Family…my brother and I are-are all that remain of the Ruling Family. A plague wiped out most of our Clan when I was six. Everyone became sick, but not everyone died. But my brother, Takora, and I, we were the only ones who didn't even get sick, and the rest of the Clan hated us for it. After a year of being blamed for the death of our Clan – for our Parents death – and treated badly, we left and moved here. We didn't and still don't want anything to do with them anymore."

Nariko stared in wonderment at her young charge. She had a run-away almost-Heir in her Cell and no one had bothered to tell her! Heads were going to roll. She kept the fury she had over being kept out of the loop from her voice and addressed her student calmly. "Okay that explains why you're nervous about going through the Village. I'd by-pass it if I could to at least save you some pain…but it's the most direct route to where we have to go in Grass Country. How about this, we have to pass through the village – there's no helping that – but I will try and avoid us having to stay in the village the night. How's that?"

Arika looked up at her Sensei and nodded in agreement. "I think I can handle that."

"Good. It's a deal then. Now you get on home and get some rest. And make sure that you and Kuro get to Kazu's early tomorrow to make sure that he's up on time; got it?"

"Hai Sensei…" Ari hopped off her perch and was off the roof of the building and gone before Nariko could even swipe at her.

"And stop calling me Sensei, damn it!" She huffed and glared off in the direction that Ari had gone, mumbling about disrespectful students. "Oh well, I'll get her back tomorrow. Now off to go talk to Michiko, and get her to explain to me why no one told me about the situation with Arika and her Clan." She turned and headed back into the building the way she had exited, with the look of a woman on a mission. Despite being good friends, Iko was not going to enjoy her next encounter with Nariko…at all.

* * *

Ari closed the door behind her as she entered a small house on the corner of the street. "Takora-nii-san, I'm home!" She peeked into the living room, but no one was there. She shrugged and made her way into the kitchen. No one was there either. '_Huh? He must not be back from his duties yet…Guess that means I'm stuck making dinner again. Stupid Nii-san._'

She grumbled and sighed to herself as she dug in the fridge and pulled out some vegetables and put them on the counter. She dug in the cupboards for some rice and a pot to cook it in; she also brought out a Wok. She went back into the fridge and pulled out some chicken from the night before and set that next to the vegetables. She put the pot full of rice and water on the stove and turned on the burner to let it cook, while she cut up the vegetables and the chicken. Once she had all the veggies cut up she threw them in the Wok with some butter and let them sit for a bit while she cut up the rest of the chicken.

Once the rice was done she drained the water then added the rice to the cooked vegetables and mixed all together before adding the chicken along with some seasonings. Ari had just finished setting the table when she heard the front door open. "Arika, I'm home! What smells so good?"

"Dinner, duh. Welcome home, Nii-san." She turned her head and greeted the man that walked into the kitchen. Kimura Takora was Arika's 22-year-old older brother, and the only member of her immediate family that she had left. He had the same orange and red hair that Arika had, it had more red streaks than Ari's did, and his eyes were a darker green than her light grass green. He wore a similar outfit to that of Nariko but instead of the pants and shirt being black, Takora's were blue. He stripped off his vest and hung it on the back of one of the kitchen chairs before sitting in it himself.

"So how were your duties today, Ari?" He took the lid off the Wok and started to dish himself up some dinner. Ari placed the drinks that she had been pouring on the table, one in front of Takora and one in front of her own seat.

"Fine…fun at least. How was wall detail?" She started to pile food onto her own plate. Ari was hoping that her brother was too tired to notice that she didn't tell him the day's highlights like she usually did. But Takora had raised her, and wasn't as clueless as he sometimes led her to believe.

"Boring as usual." After a pause he said, "So…what aren't you telling me Arika?"

She blinked and shoved some stir-fry into her mouth to avoid answering his question right away. She swallowed and looked at the table. "Our Cell's been given a 'C' rank mission. Were delivering a scroll to the Hidden Grass Village."

"Okay…what's so bad about that? I don't get it?"

"We have to pass through Hibaku…It's the most direct route. I'm just worried I'm going to run into…people. That's all."

Takora nodded in understanding. Neither of them had been back to their old village in almost six years, he would be nervous too. He got up, his dinner momentarily forgotten, and went and crouched in front of his baby sister. "You worry too much, I'm sure I've told you that at least a thousand times. If you were going by yourself I'd be worried, but you'll be with your team so you have nothing to worry about. And Nariko-san won't let anything happen to you, you know that. So stop worrying, okay?"

"Hai…I guess you're right…"

"That's the spirit…wait a second. 'You guess I'm right'? What do you mean you guess? When have I ever been wrong?"

Ari grinned, "Oh, I can name a few times that you've been wrong."

Takora pouted, causing himself to look like he was about to cry. "Mou, you're so mean to me."

"Oh you big baby…I thought you were supposed to be a big, tough Jônin?"

"I'll show you tough…we'll finish eating and clean up, then we're gonna go spar for awhile."

"Nani…? But Takora…."

"Don't 'but' me. We haven't had a decent spar in awhile. So finish your food." He went back and sat in his chair and finished his meal, ignoring his sisters protests and insult that she got off between bites of her own meal.

"Bah! Fine…but I'm gonna go all out, so you better watch it, Nii-san."

"Oh, I'm so scared."

"…Jerk,"

* * *

Well there's Chapter 3, hope you all enjoyed it. This was kind of a slow chapter, but it picks up in the next couple of chapters. I'd say about 5 or 6 more chapters then I get into the Chunin Exam Arc and the other teams start showing up. Maybe 4 chapters if I decide to condense two chapters into one or not.

Please Review.


	4. Chapter 4

Well, finally, here's chapter 4! Sorry i would have had this up sooner but I've been internet-less since November. Which sucked on so many levels! But I have it back so I can finally post again :D Yah. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not and nver will own Naruto, this is purely for fun. I do however own Cell 9.

**Chapter 4:**

"Kazu! WAKE UP!!" Ari screamed at the top of her lungs as she and Tatsukuro tried to shake the third member of their Cell awake. Tatsukuro was using one foot to try and shake Kazu awake. His hands were covering his ears, trying to protect them from Ari's screaming; it wasn't working very well, she was standing right next to him. Kazu just grumbled and rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head as he did.

"Gah! He is impossible, how can anyone sleep so deeply?!"

Tatsukuro uncovered his ears, and eyed the sleeping boy disgustedly. They went through this every morning; Sasuna Hirokazu was not a morning person. "We're going to be late if we don't wake him up soon…well actually we already are late but that's not the point…and yelling doesn't seem to be working. Any other ideas?"

Ari thought for a minute one foot tapping the ground. "I have one but we'll have to deal with an extremely pissed off Kazu for the rest of the trip…or at least for the day anyway."

"And that's different from any other day, how?"

"Good point…okay stand back." Tatsukuro moved to stand by the far wall, and Arika took up a post at the foot of the bed. She brought her hands up and preformed a range of seals, ending on Dragon. "_Suiton: Gyuosan Bakufu_!" The space above Kazu "opened" and huge amounts of water poured out, soaking the sleeping Genin and the bed he was sleeping on.

His face twisted as he tried to force himself to stay asleep, but his mind screaming '_IT'S RAINING INDOORS IDIOT!!_' finally got the upper hand, and he opened his eyes. He sat up and realized that his room was covered in an inch of water, and that he and his bed were both thoroughly soaked. He blinked and looked around his room till his eyes fell on the silently retreating Arika.

It took a few seconds for his sleep addled brain to draw the necessary connections, but when he finally managed…. let's just say that livid would be a pretty good description of what type of mood he was going to be in for the next couple of hours. "Kimura!!"

"Uh-oh…busted." She turned around and grinned innocently at him, "Good morning Kazu…it's about time you woke up. Now hurry up and get ready, or we're going to be even more late than we already are."

He glared at his mischievous teammate and her innocent smile; plotting the ways he could get her back, all were evil and none were pretty. "If you are still here by the time I get out of bed, you will not be going on this mission, or any other fucking mission. You got that Arika."

She gulped and nodded. "Loud and clear Roka. I'll see you boys at the Main Gate. Later." She quickly vacated the room and exited the house. As she reached the front door she called a quick good-bye to Kazu's Aunt, "Bye Naga-sama,"

"Good-bye, Ari-chan."

Kazu sighed and flopped back onto his bed. He grimaced when he heard a squelching sound, and water splashed up around him. "She had to use a god damn Water Jutsu…you guys couldn't think of another – more reasonable – way to wake me up?" He turned and glared at Tatsukuro, who had decided it was now safe to move away from the wall, since Kazu was more pissed off at Arika than him.

"We tried all of our usual methods, Ari even screamed in you ear. I'm surprised you're not deaf, I practically am and I had my ears covered. It was a last resort…and if I'd known that she was going to use the Waterfall Jutsu I would have _tried_ to stop her. No guarantees that I would have succeeded though."

"True I guess. Argh, it's too damn early. Look I'll meet you guys at the Gate, tell Nariko that I'll be there in ten." Tatsukuro nodded and instead of using the door he hopped out the window and down to the road below.

Kazu sighed and rolled off his bed, landing on his feet. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out his usual attire of baggy red pants, sleeveless gray shirt with yellow piping around the shoulders, and neck. He then rummaged around on his floor and pulled out his now soaking blue sandals. "Grr…stupid Arika and her stupid fucking Water Jutsu…" He continued to grumble as he changed, and tossed some of his more important possessions off the floor and hung them on chairs and hooks to dry out. He glanced up at the clock on his bedside table and groaned. It was only 9:45…he loathed mornings. He pulled on his sopping sandals, grabbed his forehead protector off his chair and ran out of his room.

He slid into the kitchen and grabbed a few slices of toast that were on the counter. He shoved one into his mouth and tied a few more up in a napkin. He was glad he had listened to his aunt and packed his bag the night before, otherwise he would have been _really_ late. They'd be gone for about a week, maybe more; it took almost two days to get from Leaf to Grass, and they'd spend a day or two there, then two days back, if everything went well. Nariko might decide to keep them out longer for some training, if she felt the motivation for it…but then, when wasn't she motivated for training.

He tried to shout something around the toast in his mouth, but ended up choking for a few seconds on a chunk of crust that he accidentally inhaled. An older woman walked into the kitchen and shook her head at the young Ninja. "How many times have you been told to chew your food before you speak, Hirokazu?"

He scowled at the woman and swallowed his toast. "Loads. And it's Kazu or Roka, Auntie, how many times do I have to tell you?"

She rolled her eyes at her eldest and only nephew, "I don't know why you hate your name so much…"

"I don't hate it, it's just a mouthful. Well I'm off, I'll see you in a week or so…" he tied the toast-napkin to one of his belt loops and trotted towards the front door. He swung his pack up onto his shoulders and tied his Hitai-ate around his head in the bandana style he usually wore it in. "Bye!" He slammed the door behind him as he ran out, headed towards the Main Gate and his team.

She threw open the kitchen window and shouted after him, "Good luck, and be careful!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

"That boy is going to give me gray hairs…and he's not even my son." She sighed as she closed the window and set about cleaning up the kitchen.

* * *

Arika and Tatsukuro leaned against the wall that ran all the way around Konoha, dosing in the warm morning sun as they pretended not to listen to the conversation that Nariko was having with one of the wall guards. She suddenly stopped her conversation and turned to the two dosing Genin. "Are you sure that he was up when you guys left?"

"Hai Nariko," they answered in unison. It was the fifth time she'd asked since they'd gotten there. "He said he'd be here in 10 minutes."

"That was 15 minutes ago,"

"Yeah well, Sasuna never was good with time."

"Well if you hadn't soaked my entire room with that stupid fuckin' Jutsu of yours I wouldn't be so late, Kimura."

"If you'd woken up the first 20 million times we tried to wake you up, I wouldn't have had to use that "stupid F'ing Jutsu", now would I?" Kazu had no comeback for that one. Its not his fault he's impossible to wake up at any hour before noon, he's always been that way. He's a growing boy and needs his sleep…at least that's what he keeps telling everyone, his teammates just thinks he's lazy.

"Okay you two stop bickering. Do you all have everything you need?"

"Hai,"

"We're already 30 minutes behind schedule so lets get moving." She sighed with a glare sent in Kazu's direction. "We'll have to travel fast to make up the lost time, so stay within visual distance of each other and if you can hearing distance. There have been a lot of wild animal sightings in the past few days, so be on your guard. Understood?"

"Hai."

"Good. Okay brats, lets get going." She took off through the gate and into the woods beyond Konoha before her three students could react to the 'brat' comment. They blinked for a few seconds before coming to their senses and taking off after their immature Jônin Sensei. They caught up to her fairly quickly, but only because she had been waiting. Once they were close enough she nodded and took off again.

* * *

They ran for a few hours straight, alternating between flying through the trees, and running along the ground. It was only when after all three Genin had tripped at least five times that Nariko decided to call for a break for lunch. The three Genin dropped down from the trees into a small clearing, swinging their packs from their backs as the headed towards the ground. Tatsukuro threw himself onto the cool grass gratefully, and almost fell asleep before forcing himself to sit up and pull out his lunch. Nariko stayed perched in the tree for a while longer, staring off into the distance as if she was looking at, or for, something.

On the ground the three Junior Ninjas broke out some quick easy meals that they didn't have to cook. In other words, sandwiches, vegetables and dip and some water. As they ate they talked about things they might see in Grass: Jutsu's, fighting styles, and if they'd get to learn anything new. Actually only Arika and Kuro talked, Kazu was still upset at his teammates from that morning and refused to join in on their conversation.

Nariko descended from the tree and started digging out her own lunch, which was similar to that of her students. "After lunch you guys can chill here for a while, there's something I need to check out."

"Okay."

"Where are you going to go, Nari?"

"No where important, I just want to see something. While I'm gone you kids stay here, okay?"

"You're leaving us out here, alone? And we thought you were worried about the wild animals coming to eat us," Kazu scoffed as he stole some of Ari's carrots…well he tried to steal them. Before his hand could reach into the container it was smacked away by Ari, who was still looking at their Sensei in surprise.

"You guys don't think you can handle a wild boar or two? And I thought you were big, bad Genin." She finished off the last of her sandwich and started work on an apple.

Kazu tilted his head back so he could look at his teacher. "You're lucky it's lunch time, or I'd kick your ass, _Sensei_…"

"You mean you'd **try** and kick my ass Kazu. I'm pretty sure we've established that without the help of your teammates, none of you can touch me." She waved her half eaten apple in her students' general direction.

He scoffed and went back to staring at the air in front of him. "Yeah, yeah…stupid, lousy, good for nothing, god damn son of a…OW!" Nariko had reached over with her foot and kicked him in the back of the head, effectively silencing the bad-mouthed Genin; and causing him to bite his tongue. "That hurt!"

"Much better. By the way I've been meaning to ask, where did you learn such colourful phrases, Kazu?" Nariko asked with a hint of chastisement in her voice, but also curiosity.

"Why?" He glared at her while trying to look at his tongue to see if he'd bitten through; he was sure he could taste blood.

"So I can go beat them into oblivion for teaching kids your age to curse like that,"

"I've always been this way…but my Mom says that I get it from Dad's side of the family."

"Are you trying to tell me that your potty-mouthitis is genetic?"

"Yup."

After a few moments she said, "…That's just sad,"

"Oi! I don't dis your genes, so you leave mine alone."

"Fine, fine…baby," She finished off the last of her apple and stood up before Kazu could try and retaliate. "Okay kiddies, I'm off. I'll be back in about…15 minutes. Stay in this clearing, understood? I don't want to have to hunt through the whole forest looking for you."

"Hai Sensei,"

"And for the last time…"

Her reprimand was cut off by the three Genin saying, "We know, we know: Stop calling you Sensei!"

"Damn straight. Now I'll see you brats in 15. Later," she gave them a quick saluting-wave then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Her disappearing and reappearing gets really irritating,"

"I think you just like to complain," Arika put her hands behind her head and lay down on the grass, enjoying the warm sun and light breeze.

"I do not." Retorted Kazu, glaring at his female teammate, who just ignored his glaring and continued to lay there with her eyes closed enjoying the warm weather.

"Do too,"

"Do not,"

"Do,"

"Not."

"Do,"

"Both of you, shut up before I hit a pressure point and knock you both out until Nariko gets back. And I'll do it too, just to finally hear some silence."

"But silence doesn't have a…"

"That's not the point, Kazu. Can you two not go five minutes without fighting?" The two teens being accused sat up and glared at their third teammate.

"Hey, I resent that comment."

"Yeah, we don't fight all the time," Tatsukuro scowled at Kazu's statement. "Okay, yes we do fight a lot, but we don't usually fight on missions…this is just going to be longer than our normal ones."

"You can't expect us to get along 24/7 Kuro. Besides we do try not to fight."

"I guess…"

"Exactly, and besides we haven't been fighting at all today."

"That's because you haven't been speaking to one another since this morning."

"Whatever…so what do you guys think Nariko no baka went to find out?" Kazu asked, hoping for a change of topic.

"I'm not sure, I didn't sense anything strange, no Genjutsu's or anything. Tatsukuro?"

"I didn't feel anyone watching us, or following us in the shadows."

"Maybe Nariko did though…I mean she is a Jônin, she's probably way more advanced in sensing things like that than we are, ne?"

"I guess so…or you could just be jumping to wild and crazy conclusions, you do have a wild imagination Kimura." He ignored the glare se sent his way, "So what are we going to do to pass time till she comes back? I can not just sit here and do nothing for 10 odd minutes." Kazu grumbled as he idly plucked at the grass on the ground next to him.

His head snapped up when he heard a Kunai flying through the air. He glanced out into the field and saw said blade piercing a leaf. It then flew back towards the three-gathered Genin and into Arika's outstretched hand. "How did you…?"

"Trip wire, I tied it to the end of my Kunai. This way I don't have to get up to retrieve it."

"Lazy ass…"

"Am not. It's called ingenuity, or imagination. Anyway, why don't we do some target practice to pass the time? Tie a length of wire to a blade and throw it at the leaves that are falling down because of the wind."

Tatsukuro was already tying his wire to his chosen blade, making sure the knot was tight enough so it wouldn't come undone. He tested the knot by tugging on it a few times. Once he was satisfied he waited for a leaf to fall, aimed then flicked the Kunai across the clearing. The blade passed clean through the leaf. Kuro flicked his wrist and the Kunai came zooming back.

Kazu just looked at his teammates skeptically before lying back in the grass, "Waste of time if you ask me…"

"I bet the reason you don't want to try is because you're scared that you won't peg a leaf,"

"I'll show you peg a leaf…I'll shove a Kunai in your back, then we'll see who can "peg a _leaf_" or not…" he muttered sullenly to himself.

"Chicken," Ari giggled and started making clucking noises. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kazu's eye start to twitch in annoyance. Kuro was ignoring the two's argument, and trying not to laugh at how ridiculous Ari was being…that and he didn't want to encourage her antics.

"Are you purposely trying to piss me off, Kimura?"

She stopped clucking and looked over at him. "Maybe…why? Is it working?" she grinned at him evilly, and tossed her Kunai again, brining it back with another leaf stuck to it.

"…Yes," he growled. He sat up and pulled a Kunai and some wire out of his Kunai pouch and tied them together. He tested them the same way that Tatsukuro had before flinging it out across the field. When he pulled it back there was a leaf stuck to the tip of the blade. "There, happy now, Miss. Doesn't think I can peg a leaf?"

"Yup!" She grinned at him and went back to throwing her own Kunai, having a race with Tatsukuro to see who could get the most leaves stuck on their Kunai's in the shortest amount of time.

They continued to play their "game" for a while longer, Kazu joining in every now and then. It was one of these times that Kazu had to pull his throw up short because otherwise it would have embedded itself in Nariko's arm. Well it might have, depending on how fast her reflexes were, and judging by the Kunai that now filled her hands, even if the blade had stuck in her arm, one – or all – of them would have been pincushions.

"What the hell you three!?"

"Gomen ne, Nariko. We were doing some target practice, we didn't expect you to show up in our target field." Ari explained quickly.

Nari nodded before turning her back on the Genin. "It's okay. You can explain your exercise later; right now we have to get a move on. A big storm's coming and I don't want to get caught in it."

The Genin looked up at the sky in confusion. The sky was clear and blue, not a single cloud in sight. Tatsukuro glanced over at her, "But Nari, it's so clear out…"

"Huh, I was right…she is fuckin' insane." Kazu muttered to himself idly.

Ignoring Kazu's grumbling she faced her students. "See the anthills on the ground?" They looked at the ground around them and nodded. "See how the sides of the hill are built up so high, ants do that when it's going to rain. Also the birds have almost stopped singing. They're finding places to weather out the storm, which is what we should be doing. Grab your bags and stay close. We're gonna move fast and try and make it as far as we can before the storm hits…" after a pause she said. "I'm sorry Arika, I may have to break my promise. It depends on where we are when the storm hits."

Kazu and Kuro tossed confused looks between Arika and Nariko. Ari's face was pale and Nari's was apologetic.

"I – I understand Nariko. It's okay, you had no control over this."

Nari nodded then jumped up to the trees, "Lets go!" The Genin tightened the straps on their packs around their shoulders and tore across the clearing; once they reached the other side they jumped up and joined their Sensei in the treetops.

* * *

Just as a village came into view lightning tore across the sky and thunder roared, causing Tatsukuro to cringe. He really didn't like thunderstorms, and this sounded like it was going to be a good one.

They leapt down from the trees onto the path that led to the village, and from there they could see a large crowd of people moving from a field that surrounded the village all trying to rush into the main gate that led into the village.

As the crowd continued to surge forward a young boy about the age of six slipped and face planted in the mud. The people walking around him didn't even bother to help him up they just kept running by, more worried about getting themselves someplace dry than a child's welfare.

As Cell 9 jogged up the road, their pace slowed so they wouldn't slip in the mud, Nariko leaned down and picked up the young boy and swung him onto her shoulders. He grabbed tightly to the Hitai-ate that was tied around her neck so he wouldn't fall backwards. "Hey there kiddo, what're you doin' out here all by your lonesome. Where are your parents?" She called back over her shoulder, yelling to be heard above the storms wind.

"At home, I was in the field with m' brother and sister. I tripped and lost'ed them in the group." He yelled back, clinging to the Jônin for dear life. As they reached the gate he saw to people standing there, looking around. "There they are!" He pointed at the two kids, who couldn't have been older than 10 and 12.

Cell 9 stopped in front of the siblings and handed the young boy to them. They bowed their thanks, which Nariko waved off. She turned to look at Ari and shouted, "Hey Ari, is there a hotel in this Village?"

"Yeah there is. Come on, it's this way." She led the way at a jog. They had to go slow so they wouldn't run into any other people walking, and so they wouldn't trip.

They turned a corner a few minutes later and there at the end of the street was the hotel. A few other people seemed to have the same idea and were ducking into the building for shelter. A little bit up the street from the four Shinobi, a man who sold umbrellas was making a killing.

As they passed a grocery store, the door swung open and caught Tatsukuro in the shoulder. He tried to catch his footing but the mud made it hard and he ended up landing on his face.

The man who had pushed the door open looked down in surprise and apology. "Sorry kid, I didn't see you. Are you all right?" An older teen that was with him reached down and offered Kuro a hand up.

Kuro took the proffered hand and got to his feet, wiping some of the mud off his face with his free hand. "No problem sir, I'm fine."

Kazu stuck his head around the door, looking to see where he'd gotten. "Hey Tat where'd you…Hahaha! Oh man, you look ridiculous. Arika. Yo, Ari. Come look at this, Tatsukuro fell in the mud." Kazu laughed as he signaled over his shoulder to his other teammate.

"No way!" She stuck her head over her green-haired teammates shoulder. She kept her composure for about three seconds then burst out laughing. "Oh god, Tat, you should see your face. Where's a camera when you need one!" The two hysterically laughing Genin had to lean on each other for support; otherwise they too would have fallen in the mud. It was one of the few times that the two had ever agreed on something, outside of training.

Tatsukuro growled at his two laughing "friends", as he tried unsuccessfully to get the rest of the mud off his face, all he really managed to do was smear it. "Sasuna, Kimura, if you two don't shut up, I'll kick your ass's from here to Iwa, and leave you there for their ANBU to find! And stop calling me Tat!" They tried to stop laughing but all the succeeded in doing was quieting it.

At hearing the name Kimura, the two people who had knocked Tatsukuro over looked at the three Genin sharply, "Kimura?"

Ari's head snapped up now, all traces of mirth fading rapidly from her face to be replaced by fear. "Uncle Sesun, Cousin Kiamaru…" she squeaked out and fought the urge to duck down out of sight behind Kazu. It was at Arika's squeaked response that the two teens noticed the similarities in appearance between their teammate and the two strangers.

Nariko's head appeared around the door then. She had come back to figure out where her three students had run off to. "Here you guys are…nice look you got going on there, Tatsukuro." She ignored the glare that he sent her and glanced down at Ari's unnaturally pale face and was confused. She looked up at the two men standing in front of the door and immediately understood. The two men had hair and eyes similar to Arika's. The older of the two had short dark red hair with darkish orange streaks, and the younger had shoulder length hair that was even mixing of red and orange. Both had eye's that were a much darker shade than Ari's own light grass green. '_They must be members of her Clan…shit. I was hoping to avoid this. Poor girl looks scared out of her mind._'

"What are you doing in Hibaku, cousin?" The younger of the two asked, politeness hardly masking his sneer. He glared at her heatedly, but it only lasted for half of a second before his features were schooled to polite indifference.

Ari gulped before she answered, as if she was trying to find the courage to speak up in front of this person. "I'm on a mission with my team…oh! These are my teammates, Sasuna Kazu, and Mika Tatsukuro. And this is our Sensei, Taska Nariko." They bowed as she introduced each of them.

"It's nice to meet you." The older man said before turning and eyeing Arika oddly. "Were you heading over to the hotel?"

"Umm, yes actually…"

"Why don't you just come stay at the compound? You know that there's more than enough room." The younger man scowled at this but said nothing. The scowl went unnoticed by Kazu and Tatsukuro who seem to be excited by the fact of having a place to stay at that they wouldn't have to pay for – Kazu was thinking more about the fact that there would be free food – but Ari and Nariko noticed the scowl. Ari shrunk back a bit unconsciously moving closer to her Sensei, who placed a comforting hand the young Kunoichi's shoulder.

Ari shook her head trying to talk them out of it. "No that's okay…I…I mean we – we don't want to impose Uncle…"

She was cut off by his shout of, "Nonsense. Don't be ridiculous. We insist. It's your home too, after all. Now lets go before we all catch colds, hm?" And without waiting for a confirmation that they were going to stay, he headed off.

Her two teammates followed Ari's Uncle and cousin happily. Nariko hung back with Ari and slung an arm over her student's shoulder. "Don't worry too much Ari. I'll make sure that nothing happens. Your Uncle seems like a nice enough guy."

"He's gotten better…but it's not my Uncle that worries me, Nari. It's my cousins."

"Well how bad can they be?" After she said that she remembered the scowl the younger Kimura male had sent her charge. By the end of the night, Nariko was going to have the answer handed to her and she wasn't going to like it.

* * *

There you have it. Liked it? Hated it? Please let me know by reviewing. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello again everyone. Well here's chapter 5. Apparently when I have school work do my drive for writing anything other than homework is kicked into to overdrive, which means i might get chapter 6 out sometime next week, yay!

Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own Naruto or anything relating to it. I do however own Cell 9 and the Kimura Clan.

This story's rating has gone up due to swearing and violence that occurs in this chapter and those following. Just warning you all now. But anywho, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

As they walked in the front door two women, dressed in Kimonos, met the group of six and gave them each a towel to dry off with. Kuro's ended up being the dirtiest towel, and he still didn't succeed in getting rid of all the mud.

The women bowed to the three Kimura's, the males nodded, but Ari blushed in embarrassment and waved them off. She hadn't been in a Clan setting since she was seven, and didn't remember much of how to act as a member of a Clan as large as hers once was. She also didn't remember half the people in her Clan that were still alive; she knew them by name, but not by face.Ari stood behind Tatsukuro and peered at everything from around his shoulder; she was trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible.

Kuro glanced down at her in confusion. '_Why is she so nervous? She's been like this since we ran into her Uncle and Cousin at the store. I don't get it._' He stepped aside as Kiamaru and Sesun moved further into the hall and pulled Ari with him. He ducked down so he could whisper in her ear and asked, "Hey, you okay?"

She looked up at him in surprise and a bit of embarrassment at having been caught hiding. She smiled softly. "Yeah, I'm fine Kuro…It's just I haven't seen this branch of my family since I was about seven, so I…" her attention was diverted from the conversation when two women and a boy who looked to be about seven years old came around the corner to greet their guests. She blinked when she saw the boy run up to greet her Uncle; '_There haven't been any children in the Kimura Clan since…_' as soon as she thought about it the answer came to her. '_This must be Uncle's son, Shinji. He was only 5 months old when Takora-nii-san and me left. That's probably why I don't recognize him._'

She smiled at the small orange and red haired boy who looked over at her shyly from atop his father's shoulders. "You probably don't remember your cousin Arika, do you Shinji. You were very young when she left."

Ari smiled up at the confused and shy boy. "I barely recognized him, he's grown a lot. How old is he now Uncle?"

"He'll be seven in a few months."

At seeing Arika talking so freely with her Uncle about her young cousin, Tatsukuro got even more confused. '_Just a few seconds ago Arika was practically shaking, now she's talking to her Uncle like she would to any other adult in the Village. Her whole attitude seems to have shifted. What the heck is going on here?_'

"Ari why don't you show your teammates and Sensei to the baths. I'm sure that they'd like to be clean, wouldn't you?" Her Uncle said, tossing an amused look over at the mud covered Genin.

Kuro – rousing from his contemplation – looked wistful for a few seconds before grinning and saying, "Clean…hey I remember that?"

"Ha-ha…well then I'd bet you'd like to relive the experience. Arika, do you remember where the baths are?"

"Hai Uncle, I do." She nodded and handed her towel back to the woman who gave it to her with a quiet 'thank you'.

"Lead the way, Arika." Nari said with a flourish, bowing to her youngest student. Ari gave a small grin and bowed back before turning and heading off down the hallway. As Ari passed him she gave her cousin, Kiamaru, as wide a berth as the hall would allow, and cowered at the look that one of the two women, who had entered with Shinji, gave her; the other sent her a kindly smile that Ari returned, albeit hesitantly.

Nariko took note of the interaction between her student and the rest of her family. '_I had no idea that the relationship with her family was this bad. From what I've seen so far it looks like most of them would rather see her dead than have her in the house. Though her uncle and his wife seem to like her well enough._' She'd have to try and keep an eye on Ari and her family members and make sure nothing too serious happened.

* * *

It was an hour after the four Konoha Shinobi had cleaned up and been shown to their rooms. Kazu had disappeared – he most likely had gone off to explore – Tatsukuro was reading a book on Ninjutsu training methods and techniques that Nariko had given him to read, the Sensei herself was talking with Arika's Uncle, and Ari…well Ari was lost.

She'd been trying to find a place in her Clan's Compound that she used to run off to when she couldn't take the ridicule of her family anymore, or to escape her brother when she felt he was being annoying. But she had taken a few wrong turns and now was hopelessly lost. She was about to jump up onto the rooftop of the building she was walking beside, to try to get her bearings, despite the rain that was still pouring down, when she felt someone approaching her from behind.

She turned around thinking it was one of her teammates, Kazu had disappeared shortly after they had been shown their rooms, so it was possible it was him. Ari turned to look behind her and all the blood drained from her face and her stomach started doing odd flip-flops making her think that she might throw-up. Leaning against the building's wall, arms crossed over his chest, was Kiamaru.

He wasn't radiating hostility, but the look he was giving her was enough to make her skin crawl. Kiamaru had never liked her – she wasn't sure why, he just never had – he held a grudging respect for Takora, but that was most likely because he could kick his cousin's ass from here to Konoha and back. He had also never openly hurt/attacked her for fear of what her brother would do to him.

There were two differences now: 1) Takora was in Konoha on active duty and couldn't drop everything just to go beat some sense into his cousin. 2) Arika was alone.

"Hello Arika." His voice didn't hold any contempt, or sign that he disliked Arika in any way, shape, or form, but Ari knew it was there, hidden just beneath the surface. Kiamaru often talked to her brother when she was present so he had developed a near perfect mask that didn't let any emotions show, at least none that she'd ever seen.

She tried to force down the terror that was welling up in her mind and screaming at her to run. She mostly succeeded but her voice still shook. "He-hello Kiamaru. Ano…could you tell me how to get back to the main house, I'm kind of lost." She smiled slightly in embarrassment but it trailed off when her cousin continued to just stare at her. After a few moments of silence, listening to nothing but the rain, Ari asked, "Is…is something the matter Kiamaru?" she glanced around causally observing the area around her, looking anywhere but at her cousins hard stare. She was also mapping out any and all possible escape routes.

He straightened from his leaning position and started to walk towards Arika. Ari – not wanting Kiamaru to be anywhere near her – started to back away, her retreat was cut short though, for after she had taken five steps her back hit one of the roofs support beams, halting her in her tracks.

Unbeknownst to either of the Kimura cousins, Kazu was perched in a tree across from where they were having their conversation. He was about to try and move closer – to see if he could get close enough to hear what they were saying, the rain was drowning out everything – when he sensed someone in the branches beneath him. Kazu reached into his Kunai pouch and pulled out a blade; then he carefully parted some branches and looked down. He sighed in relief when his paranoia revealed Tatsukuro crouched and alternating between reading his book and watching the cousin's interaction.

"Damn it Tat! You scared the shit out of me, you fucking bastard." He grumbled darkly as he carefully and quietly lowered himself down onto the branch his teammate was crouching on, careful not to slip on the wet branch. Luckily the foliage of the trees was so thick that it kept the interior of the tree fairly dry.

Tatsukuro sighed at his teammates language. "Are you a Sailor or a Shinobi? Sorry, not my fault you're jumpy…and stop calling me Tat, how many times do I have to say it!" He sighed in annoyance then turned back to his reading. "Anyway, should we interrupt?" He turned a page of his book.

Kazu shrugged as he scratched a hard to reach spot on his back with the Kunai blade. "Dunno…it looks like they're just talking."

"True…say when we arrived here, did you notice how strange Arika was acting? Her family too?"

"Nope. Though I don't think that dude she's talking to likes her all that much…he's done nothing but glare at the hag since he showed up."

Tatsukuro rolled his eyes, "That's what I meant. All Kiamaru-san's done since we arrived here is glare at Arika and look like he wanted to slit her throat…or something that ended in her death. And Ari's avoided looking and or talking to everyone but her Uncle and his wife and son."

"I never noticed the looks, but I noticed that she was being quiet…I just thought she was being shy…which is weird since she's always talking our fucking ears off. So you think we should move closer, in case the guy tries anything funny? I trust her to look after herself from a distance, but up close in hand-to-hand combat…I trust her to get her ass whopped." His face deadpanned as he said the last bit.

Tatsukuro sweat dropped, but nodded in agreement. Ari's skill in Taijutsu was basic at best, enough to get her past the graduation test. She was better if she had a weapon, like her glaive, but the fact still stood that she was a little better than hopeless at Taijutsu.

He closed his book and slid it into the pouch at his back. "Yeah come on, but try not to get caught, I'd rather he not know that we're around."

"Yeah, yeah…what do you take me for, an idiot?"

"Do you really want me to answer that, Roka?" He didn't even flinch at the glare that his now irritated teammate sent him as he skillfully dropped down from the tree, landing without a sound, and started to make his way to a concealed spot closer to the two cousins. Kazu grumbled but followed closely, going as quielty as he could. Though with the rain pouring down like it was it wasn't that hard of a task.

Once they where safely concealed in the tree next to the building awning that Ari and Kiamaru were talking under, they turned their attention back to the conversation. The two Kimura's had not noticed the boy's approach, which was both good, and bad. Good because the boys could now eavesdrop with ease, and bad because Ari was still at the mercy of her cousin.

"Why did you return here cousin?"

"I-I tried to tell Uncle that we would find a hotel, but he insisted…you were there, you know…"

"That's not what I meant. I meant why did you return to Hibaku?"

"I told you before I'm on a mission, and it required us to pass through the village…it's not like I wanted to…" she trailed off when his glare intensified; apparently he wasn't satisfied with her answer.

"You know that you aren't welcome here, little Ari. I suggest on your return trip you pass directly through the village, or go by an alternate route. If you choose not to, you will not like the consequences." His eyes flashed so they looked much like the Hyuuga clan's did normally, when their Kekkai Genkai wasn't activated.

Arika gulped and pressed her back harder against the post she was up against, trying in vain to sink into the wood and escape her cousin's intense gaze. But the backbone she'd developed during the past five months of putting up with Kazu's bad temper, and general dislike of her decided to rear it's head and stand up for herself…or at least try to.

She glared back, her back straightening a little as she faced down her cousin. "It's not like I want to be anywhere near you guy's and this stupid, backwards village. The only reason we're stuck here is because of that blasted storm. Plus I'm just a Genin you idiot; my Sensei is the commander of this mission and decides where we'll stay and for how long. So neither of us have a say in the matter, you jerk!" She felt better for having finally told her cousin off. But her celebration was short lived and she started regretting her words when her cousin's anger and hatred for her became palpable.

As soon as she realized her mistake, and grasped the fact the Kiamaru was about to get violent, she tried to escape. She got as far as the edge of the wooden walkway before he grabbed her arm and tossed her into the wall of the building.

"Ouch! Kiamaru, stop it! Kia-gah!" Her plea was cut off as the elder Kimura pinned the younger to the wall by her throat. Her hands came up and tried to pry his hand away from her neck, but it was futile, he was at least twice her age or more, and easily three times as strong. She tried kicking him in the side a few times, but she was already gasping for breath and her weak kicks attested to that fact, they only made him wince and his hold didn't even slacken enough to pry away a finger.

"Do not presume, cousin, that you have the right to tell me off, or insult me. You will not like the consequences for that, either." He tightened his grip, and Ari struggled to draw a breath.

She glared up at him, tears gathering at the corner of her eye as her breaths became shorter. "The only…reason you're…brave…is 'cause Nii-san…not here!"

Kiamaru snapped. He pulled his arm back, his hand balling into a fist. Ari closed her eyes and ducked her head as much as his hold on her throat would allow and waited for the punch to land. But it never did.

She cracked open one eye and was surprised – to say the least – to find herself staring at Kuro's back, one arm raised to block the blow, the greave on his arm slightly buckled were her cousin's fist had connected with the metal guard. His other hand reached up and pinched a nerve on Kiamaru's arm, causing his hold on Ari's throat to slacken, allowing her to break free.

Her arm was grabbed again and she was pulled away from the two glaring Ninja. Kazu put her behind him and started to back away, a kunai held out pointing at Kiamaru in warning. Ari slumped against Kazu heaving in a lung full of air, and coughed a few times trying to remember how to breathe.

Tatsukuro glanced over at his teammates, making sure that they were far enough away; he then turned his gaze back towards the elder Kimura. "I don't care if you're family or not, I won't allow you to treat Arika like that. You're a Shinobi, you should know better, or at least have more self-control." He shifted away from the punch that Kiamaru threw at him, but it still grazed his face and he staggered back. He dropped into a crouch and then jumped over to where his teammates stood.

Kazu glared at him with all the disdain he could muster before saying, "Come on lets go hunt down Nariko, and tell her what's happened."

Tatsukuro and Arika nodded and the three Genin disappeared just as Kiamaru reached the spot where they'd been standing.

"Damn it!" He said a few more choice words before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Nariko and Sesun were sitting across from each other in one of the tearooms in the Kimura compound, regaling one another with past exploits over a cup of tea…or in Nariko's case a cup of extra strong coffee. Nariko was just about to explain how she and her team had managed to escape a squad of Rock-Nin's when her three students appeared in the doorway, an extremely pissed off Kiamaru storming up the hallway behind them. Arika broke away from her teammates and moved across the room and ducked down behind her Sensei.

Nariko noticed two things immediately, the first was that Arika was pale and shaking in fear, the second was the killing intent radiating off her other two students, all of it directed towards the infuriated, stalking Kiamaru.

"What's the problem here, Ari? Tatsukuro. Kazu. Calm down, I can feel your anger from here. Tell me what's wrong." Nariko looked between her three protégés in confusion. It was the first time that she'd seen Kazu angry on – what seemed to be – Arika's behalf, and it threw the elder Shinobi for a loop.

Kuro – being the more reasonable of the two Genin – took a deep breath and seemed to calm down a bit…Kazu on the other hand just became angrier. "Calm down yeah right! That bastard," he pointed angrily at Kiamaru, "is lucky I haven't shoved a Kunai up his ass for what he did!"

"I agree with Roka, Nariko…minus the cussing."

"Of course. I'm confused here guys. I can see you're angry…and if Kazu is threatening violence on Ari's behalf it has to be serious. But I don't now what's going on to make you two act this way. Now explain to me what happened?"

"That jerk, attacked Arika."

"You lying little…"

Kuro jumped in before Kiamaru could finish his statement of denial. "Kazu and I stopped your fist from having an abrupt meeting with Ari's face while you pinned her to a wall…if that doesn't qualify as attacking someone I'll hand in my Hitai-ate and become a civilian."

The remaining members of Cell 9 blinked, it was the first time they had heard Tatsukuro be sarcastic, even slightly. It was at that moment that the meaning of the words struck Nariko. "You attacked my student!? You attacked your own cousin, your family? Arika is this true?" She glanced, startled, at the young Kunoichi. The shaking girl only nodded. She kept her eyes locked on the ground and refused to look up at the people around her.

Kazu growled and turned his anger from Kiamaru to Sesun. "You should have better control over your family, old man." Sesun tried to say something in his defense, but Kazu pressed on not giving him a chance. "If Tatsukuro and I hadn't stumbled in on their argument Arika would be a lot more than just scared shitless. I have half a mind to kick both of your ass's!"

"You just have half a mind! Shut up Hirokazu, you're just making things worse!" Ari yelled, happy to have something to do that didn't involve her looking at her cousin, her uncle, or directly dealing with the situation at hand.

Kazu glared at her for using his full name, but decided to let it slide this time, he could still see how scared she was. But he wasn't going to let her off the hook completely, "He could have killed you, you stupid bitch! I'm not gonna calm down just 'cause you fucking tell me to. I don't care how your messed up Clan's dynamics work. He," he pointed an angry finger in Sesun's direction, who was looking angry and confused himself, "should have better control over the members of his family who have anger-management problems, and over those who get off on beating on kids half their age!"

"Damn it Kazu, shut up!"

"Make me!"

Nari nodded and took a deep breath of her own, trying to calm herself down, and resist the urge to follow through with Kazu's threat from earlier. "Okay you two, enough!" the shout immediately silenced their argument. "All right now I want you to explain exactly what happened, and go easy on the swearing Kazu."

"Bah, then Kuro can tell you what happened."

Tatsukuro nodded and began to explain what he saw between the two cousins. The tale took about five minutes to tell, but it only took about two minutes for Nariko to go from pissed to livid.

Kiamaru tried to make a silent escape as the story came to a close but was stopped by Sesun, who suddenly appeared in the door, blocking his escape. "Hold it right there, Kiamaru. You are not going anywhere."

"Tatsukuro, Kazu. I want either one or both of you to be with Ari at all times. I do not want her wandering around this place alone, in case any other members of her "family" get any funny ideas. Is that clear?"

"Hai Sensei." Nariko was in her serious mode, which prompted the use of the honorific.

"Good, now you three go wander around, I want to talk to Arika's cousin and Uncle alone. I don't want to feel your Chakra on the other side of that door, got it?"

"Hai." Ari got to her feet shakily and made her way over to her teammates as quickly as she could.

The door closed behind them and the quickly made their way to the far end of the hallway. It was there that Ari rounded on Kazu. "Why do you have to be so confrontational all the time? Kiamaru looked ready to kill you, Kazu. Or at least do you some serious bodily harm. I can handle my own problems."

He turned around and shouted back at her, "Yeah right. If we hadn't have shown up when we did, you would have been nothing but a smear on the wall of that building. We saved your pitiful, weakling ass, and you fucking know it!" The two teammates glared at each other for a few tense seconds more before Kazu broke the staring contest. "You know what, forget it, I'm not going to stand here and listen to you bitch at me for saving your sorry ass, Kimura. I'll keep watch from the sidelines. See you later." He turned around angrily and took a few steps, then disappeared as only a Shinobi could, silently and without a trace.

"Get back here Kazu, I'm not done yelling at you! I said get back here, damn it!"

"Let him go Ari, you both need to calm down."

"How come you weren't stopping his tirade in there? You usually try and keep Kazu from making an ass out of himself, or getting in over his head. And another thing, how come you're taking his side!"

"Because…I agree with him…about your Uncle I mean." He added hastily noticing the stormy look on her face. He had never seen Arika angry, truly angry, and he never wanted to. Pissed off Kunoichi could be very, _very_ creative. "He made a good point Arika, and you know it." Kuro mumbled unhappily as he and Ari walked down the hall trying to find the way back to their rooms. Ari stared at him dumbfounded for a few moments. She couldn't believe it, Kuro agreed with Kazu.

She thought over what her teammate had yelled at her Uncle. The more she thought about it the more she realized that they were right. Her Uncle should have known about Kiamaru's feelings of hatred towards her, and taken preventive measures to keep something like this from happening. But no one thought that it would have gotten this bad.

All her anger left her in a rush, leaving her feeling light-headed, tired, and extremely upset. She took a few deep breaths to make sure she didn't start crying then said, "You're right Tatsukuro, you both are…I'm sorry. Thank you for intervening and saving me from Kiamaru."

"You're welcome Arika, but the person you should really apologize to is Kazu."

"Yeah I know. Next time I see him I will,"

"Promise?"

"…Hai, I promise."

"Good, glad to hear it. So…do you remember how to get back to our rooms? I'm completely lost."

Ari glanced around the hallway they now found themselves in, trying to get her bearings. After a few moments of contemplation she said, "Umm…me too actually. Lets just wander around until we bump into one of the maids. I'm sure they'll point us in the right direction."

"Great…hey, maybe Kazu knows how to get to our rooms. Oi, Kazu, do you know how to get back to our quarters?" His answer was received in the form of a Kunai thudding into the floor a few feet in front of the pair, and another a couple meters further down. "Excellent, we'll just follow the bread crumbs…err…Kunai." As he came up to the first blade he picked it up, then did the same for the next.

Ari giggled and said to the air around her, "Arigatou Kazu."

* * *

The morning after Ari's meeting with Kiamaru, found Cell 9 standing outside the gates of the Kimura Compound, along with Sesun and Kiamaru. The ground was still muddy from the rain the night before, and the sky was overcast, and it looked like it was threatening to rain again. Tatsukuro was eyeing the mud with distaste, most likely remembering his experience yesterday with the mucky substance.

Arika eyed her Uncle and cousin, tugging at her bangs nervously, her feet shuffled with the desire to get away, to anywhere but where she was. Her teammates could tell that she would probably kill to get away from her Clan as fast as was humanly possible.

Kazu glanced around at nothing in particular; wanting nothing more than get their current mission over with so they could go home. As his eyes wandered aimlessly they passed over a surly looking Kiamaru, who was eyeing the three Genin with barely hidden hatred. '_I'm bet that Ari's Uncle made Kiamaru come to see us off. Probably said something like 'since he's the oldest of the Kimura males, it's his duty…blah, blah, blah…or something like that. This is why I hate Clans, too many traditions and protocols you have to follow. Not to mention no freedoms. But whatever, I'm not part of a Clan so it doesn't matter…and I swear to Kami, if that green eyed pretty boy looks at us like that one more time, I'm following through with my threat from last night and shoving a Kunai up his ass!_' Kazu grumbled mentally to himself, one hand idly fingering the Kunai in the pouch on his leg.

'_I wish Nariko would finish her conversation with the old man already; I want to get this show on the road. If I have to be up at this ungodly hour, we better be doing something worth while._' He closed his eyes in annoyance.

Just as his thought finished – as though she had heard his mental grumbling – Nariko shook hands with Arika's Uncle and turned to face her team. "Okay kiddies, lets get going, we're burning daylight…Wake up Kazu-kun!"

His eye twitched at the added honorific, "I am awake damn it! I'm just resting my eyes."

"Sure you were. Say good-bye brats, and we'll hit the road."

Bowing, Tatsukuro and Ari did as their Sensei told them; Kazu did as well, though he took her words literally. "Good-bye brats." Which earned him a punch to the head delivered by Nariko. "Ow!"

"I'm gonna have to start teaching you manners instead of Jutsu's." Nariko sighed in exasperation as she placed her hands on Kazu's shoulders and started herding him away. "Kuro, Ari, Let's get a move on, before Kazu-kun says anything else I'll make him regret."

"Drop. The. Kun!"

"Coming." Ari gave a final bow to her Uncle before turning to catch up with her departing team.

After they'd made it a sufficient distance away from the Kimura Compound Nariko turned to Ari and asked, "You feeling better this morning, Arika?"

"Hai Nariko, I'm fine."

After a few seconds Ari steeled herself for what she promised Tatsukuro she would do last night. "Hey Kazu,"

"What?" he answered shortly. Apparently he was still sore about their argument last night.

She quickened her pace till she was walking along side him. "Look I just wanted to apologize…"

"What for?"

"For being a jerk last night. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. What you said to my Uncle was right, I was wrong for yelling at you for pointing out the obvious. I'm just…my Clan makes me edgy, they always have, and I usually end up taking it out on people who don't deserve it. Gomen nasai." She bowed as they walked.

Kazu blinked at her in surprise and embarrassment, then looked away. "Whatever…look don't worry about it all right. I'd probably have snapped at everyone too."

"Heh, you already do that, Hirokazu-kun."

"Tru…Oi! What have I told you about using my full name, and drop that thrice damned honorific!" He swiped at her and she dodged by taking a step back so she was walking in her original place in their line.

"See that wasn't so hard, now was it." Tatsukuro said as she fell back to walk next to him.

"I guess not…but it was still embarrassing. I can't believe you made me do that Tat,"

Tatsukuro glared at her out of the corner of his eye, but was startled when he noticed something on Arika's neck…or the lack of something on her neck. There was no bruise; no physical evidence at all that less than 12 hours ago Ari had been pinned to a wall by her throat. "Ano, Ari," the Kunoichi looked over at him, "How come you don't have a bruise on your neck from where Kiamaru had you trapped?"

Ari blinked in surprise. She wasn't surprised that she had no bruise; she was surprised that Kuro had noticed. Kazu and Nariko turned around to look at the pair.

Kazu looked over his shoulder and at the spot where Kiamaru's hand had been, and saw that Tatsukuro was right, there was no mark at all. "What the hell, Arika?"

Arika sighed. '_I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain about my bloodline till later…years later. No such luck I guess…man this sucks._'

She opened her mouth, prepared to tell her team, but Nari beat her to the punch. "It's a healing ability that her Clan has, among other abilities. You can ask her about it when we stop for lunch, you need your air for running, not talking. Though if she doesn't wish to talk about it, don't force her, got that Kazu? Most Clans like to keep their Kekkai Genkai secret, or at least what they're capable of."

"Hai, I got it."

Arika stared at her Sensei in amazement. '_She knows about my Clan's Kekkai Genkai? How come she never mentioned knowing before?_' She was brought out of her silent contemplation by Nariko's shout of, "Lets pick up the pace, I want to reach the border before lunch, if you please." She leapt up onto the rooftops and headed for the gate at the west of the village. The rest of Cell 9 followed their teacher to the roof's doing their best to keep up. It looked like Arika wasn't the only one who wanted to get out of the village, though it probably had more to do with finishing the mission than getting away from Ari's Clan.

* * *

They stopped for lunch at around 1 pm; from where they had stopped they could see the outskirts of the Hidden-Grass village. They'd crossed the border between Fire and Grass at around 10 that morning, and Nariko had decided that they should eat before they entered the village.

Nariko was checking over a map that she had pulled from her pack. When Tatsukuro had asked what the map was for she told him that she was thinking of taking an extra week out in the wilds to give the team some hands on survival training.

The three Genin were seated similarly to how they had been the day before, when they'd had lunch in Fire Country. Ari was tugging at the grass around her every time her teammates tossed her curious or calculating looks. She was waiting for one of them to ask her about her Bloodline and at the same time hoping that they wouldn't. It's not that she wouldn't or couldn't tell them; it was that she didn't know how to explain it. No one else other than her brother and her Uncle knew that she possessed her Clan's Kekkai Genkai, so she had never had to explain it to anyone.

Tatsukuro could feel her nervousness as well as see it. Ari wasn't really one to fidget, unless she was very uncomfortable. He noticed in their years at the academy that whenever the topic of family was brought up she always tugged at something: her shirt, pants, blades of grass, etc. If just the thought of talking about her Clan's Bloodline was making her nervous enough to pull at the grass then out of respect for her feelings, he wasn't about to bring up the subject of her Clan's abilities.

Kazu, on the other hand, didn't know this about Arika, as he hadn't known her for as long as Tatsukuro had, and therefore had no qualms with bringing up subjects that made her nervous. "Oi, Ari." Arika stopped her grass tugging and looked over at him. "So…how much can you tell us about your Kekkai Genkai…is it anything like that Neji kid's eye deal?" He asked, remembering what he'd seen of the young Hyuuga prodigy during his week at the academy.

"You mean the Byakugan?"

"Yeah, that."

"Not really, no. Though my Clan is distantly, _distantly_, descended from the Hyuuga Clan, our bloodline limits are nothing alike. Their abilities allow them to attack peoples Chakra pathways, the Keirakukei, and damage their opponents that way…" she took a breath and looked up at the sky, she pulled at the hair that hung around her face in nervousness and frustration. She was trying to think of the best way to explain it, so it wasn't overly confusing. "It's kind of hard to explain. Okay lets see. The Kimura Bloodline is called the Shinju Sounote, the Divine Hands, and it has two abilities. One is the Hands of Heaven – Sounote Ten, which gives us the ability to heal others and ourselves. Which is why I don't have a bruise. It speeds up our healing time, if we concentrate on it." She paused looking for an example to help explain.

"So say for instance if I had a gash on my arm, instead of the week or so it would take to heal normally without medical attention I could heal it in three days with a little Chakra, or almost instantly with a constant flow of Chakra. With enough skill and power we can heal almost any injury, short of death or those on the verge of death, we also can't cure diseases either, and we're not supposed to cure normal illnesses, like pneumonia for instance. We can do it, but it drains us of almost all our Chakra and knocks us out for a week. The other is called the Hands of Hell – Sounote Jigoku. Another name for it is the Gouka, Hell Fire. It allows us to damage our opponents using their own Chakra; it permits us to tear their Chakra forcefully from their bodies, causing various amounts of damage."

Kazu and Tatsukuro stared at her in astonishment. They had no idea that her Clan possessed such ability. Since she seemed to be more or less okay talking about her Bloodline, Tatsukuro decided to venture a question. "So you could kill somebody with that ability, ne?"

Arika nodded. "If used in the right spot, like over an artery, or a major organ, then yes."

Kazu racked his brain for what he remembered about Kekkai Genkai that his old Sensei had taught him back in his home village. "Some people inherit a bloodline stronger than others, ne?"

"Hai…" she dreaded where this line of questioning was headed.

"How strong is your inheritance?"

Arika's face seemed to darken at that question and she looked away, not meeting the eyes of either of her teammates. She stood up then, shaking her head, "I-I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Hey wait a second,"

"Let it drop Roka."

"But Tatsu…"

"Oi! Heads up you three, eyes sharp!"

The three Genin looked over at their Sensei in shock. She was on her feet, a Kunai held in both of her hands. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, they immediately followed suit and went back-to-back, forming a defensive triangle; the feelings that the earlier conversation had brought on momentarily forgotten. Four pairs of eyes scanned the grassy field around them for signs of danger.

Like Leaf-Nin's in a forest, Grass-Nin's in a grassy plain were damn near impossible to find, or to see. So it was a great surprise to the three Genin – and only a slight surprise to Nariko – that they found themselves surrounded by a three-man squad of Grass Chûnin out on patrol.

"State your business now, or you fall here, Leaf-Nin's."

Nariko straightened from her defensive stance, slipping her Kunai back into her pouch. "We're here on official business from the Hokage, to deliver a scroll to the head of your Village. I request permission for myself, and my students, to be allowed passage into the Village-Hidden-Amongst-The-Grass."

Kazu blinked at the professional tone in Nari's voice. None of the Genin had ever heard her sound like that, she was always immature and sounded more like a teenager than an Elite Jônin. The three Genin were forced to turn their attention away from their Sensei's conversation and back to their own surroundings, when the other two Grass-Nin sidled up next to them, eyeing them like they were dangerous wild animals ready to strike.

One put his face right up in front of Ari's, only centimeters away, she fought not to take the step back that she wanted to, to get him out of her personal bubble. Instead she tightened her grip on her Kunai and glared at him. She toyed with the idea of activating enough of her bloodline so her eyes glowed, but tossed it off as a bad idea. She'd rather not goad random Grass Shinobi into attacking her and her teammates…Kazu would be pissed off for hours.

Tatsukuro seemed to be having a similar problem with the third Grass-Nin; he just stared calmly back, cracking his knuckles in warning. Since no one was bothering him at that moment Kazu had taken the time and completed all but the final seal for his Earth Shield Jutsu, and was ready to activate it at a moments notice. He didn't like the way that the two Nin's were now circling him and his teammates, and judging by the stormy look on Nariko's face, neither did she.

"We come here on a peaceful mission to deliver a scroll, are you going to attack us over something as trivial as that?" She tossed a quick look over at her three protégés making sure they were, so far, unharmed, before turning her eyes back to the squad leader, or who she assumed was the leader.

The Chûnin that was squaring off with Nariko scoffed at her question. "Hardly. That's not why we're weary of you. It's not often that you see a Konoha Elite out doing deliveries…what's your true purpose here?"

Nariko sighed. '_Shinobi…always so suspicious. Whatever happened to trusting your fellow man, sheesh!_' "I told you already, I'm delivering a scroll, you baka." She reached into her belt pouch and started rummaging through it, holding her other hand out to the side; all the while keeping her eyes on the Chûnin before her.

As her hand entered her belt pouch, the Chûnin – ignoring her other hand, which was unarmed, and not moving – jumped back thinking she was going for a weapon. The other two Chûnin who were circling the Genin saw him move and prepared their attack.

"Oi! Don't be so hasty, I'm just taking out our travel papers." Nariko shouted out quickly, sensing the danger her students were in. She slowly pulled her hand out of her pouch and flipped open her passport. She tossed it at the Chûnin then held both her hands out to her sides, trying to present a harmless front. "Put away your Kunai you three, we're trying not to be hostile here."

"Tell that to these two, Nariko-Sensei." Kazu sneered at one Chûnin who was getting to close to him for comfort.

Tatsukuro voiced his agreement, "Kazu's right, I have a feeling that if we even twitch in a way they think is "funny" they'll attack us."

"Whatever happened to Konoha and Kusa being allies," Ari mumbled, watching the movements of the Chûnin as best as she could without moving her head.

The Chûnin with Nariko read over the passport then tossed it back at her, and after a tense moment of silence said, "It checks out. Let them move." To Nariko he said, "Follow us, we'll escort you into the Village."

* * *

So what did you guys think of this chapter. Sorry that it's so long, it was at one point to seperate chapters but i decided to condense it all into one. Letme know what you guys thought in a review. Thank you! 


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